Our City Centre York Vision

After listening to your views as a vital part of the Our City Centre York project (previously named the My City Centre Project), the Our City Centre York Vision has now been approved.

Our ambition is to manage the city better at its busiest times, whilst encouraging residents and visitors to also visit in quieter periods through providing a family-friendly and welcoming environment with plenty to do.

A focus on making the city centre attractive with a broad and inclusive offer including increasing green spaces and promoting opportunities to support the health and wellbeing of the city’s residents and visitors.

The squares and streets in York city centre frame an astonishing wealth of heritage and activity but are in need of improvement in many places with poor physical appearance, accessibility and usability flagged in engagement.

Events are, and will continue to be, a key part of York’s character and identity; an attractor of visits to the centre, and driver of economic activity. However, events can also be disruptive at times, due to their location, and are perceived to target visitors and niche interests, with a need to target residents and create a broader appeal.

The vision for creating an attractive, active and healthy city centre

Explore and encourage:

• investment in public space, squares and our shopping areas
• spreading the location of events better throughout the city’s spaces
• focusing the city’s events programme across a wide range of offers that have broad and inclusive appeal
• improving digital and physical signposting of events
• making it simpler, cheaper and less disruptive to put on events in the city, and support more community led events
• opportunities to support and improve our thriving permanent and temporary markets
• active travel options for getting into and around the centre of York
• a healthy food and drink culture in the city
• outdoor eating and café culture in the city centre

Also see

• Our City Centre York - What you've told us so far
• Our City Centre York - How to get involved
• Our City Centre York - an open community brief