International placemaking expert Joe Pine joins Bath workshop to explore how the city can create transformative experiences for residents, visitors and workers
Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) has appointed Milligan to review a number of strategically important council-owned sites across Bath city centre, marking the start of a collaborative programme focused on the long-term future of one of Britain’s most distinctive cities.
But rather than beginning with a traditional development-focused approach, the partnership has already started exploring a much broader question:
How can Bath help people become who they want to be?
To kick off the partnership, Milligan invited internationally renowned author and thinker Joe Pine, co-author of The Experience Economy and The Transformation Economy, to lead a workshop with senior representatives from Bath & North East Somerset Council and the wider project team.
The workshop introduced a fresh perspective on place-making, centred on the idea that successful places today do more than offer amenities, attractions or services. Instead, they help people achieve personal aspirations and create meaningful change in their lives.
The concept of the Transformation Economy explores how destinations, organisations and places can create experiences that help individuals evolve, whether that’s improving wellbeing, building connections, developing skills, embracing creativity or discovering new perspectives.
For Bath, this opens up a new way of thinking about the city.
Rather than considering individual sites in isolation, the review will explore how the city centre as a whole can better support the journeys of residents, workers, students and visitors. The partnership will consider how Bath’s internationally recognised heritage, cultural assets, creativity, innovation and public spaces can work together to create experiences that are uniquely transformative.
The workshop challenged participants to think beyond conventional development models and explore what role Bath might play in helping people reconnect, recharge, learn, create and thrive.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bath is already recognised globally for its extraordinary history, architecture and cultural significance. The review will examine how the city can build on these strengths while continuing to evolve in response to changing expectations, opportunities and visitor behaviours.
Alongside the strategic review of council-owned sites, Milligan will work with B&NES to identify opportunities that strengthen Bath’s economic resilience, cultural vitality and visitor economy, while ensuring the city remains authentic to its distinctive character.
Stuart Harris, CEO at Milligan, said:
“Bath is already one of the world’s great cities, but like all successful places it must continue to evolve. What has excited us most since starting this partnership is the willingness of the Council and wider stakeholders to think differently about what the future could look like.
“Joe Pine’s work on the Transformation Economy provides a fascinating lens through which to view Bath. Rather than simply asking what developments or attractions a city needs, we’re asking how Bath can help people achieve their aspirations and create meaningful experiences in their lives.
“The workshop generated some incredibly thought-provoking discussions and provided a fresh framework for understanding the future role of the city. We believe this approach has enormous potential, not only for Bath, but for the future of placemaking more broadly.”
