The city of Stoke-on-Trent is changing and is undergoing a renaissance. The UK's 13th largest city region has a clear vision for the future through the city council's 'Mandate for Change', putting job creation and economic growth at the heart of everything it does. The vision is to build a 21st century international city which is attractive for businesses and visitors, and dominates the space between Manchester and Birmingham. For this to happen, city council leaders identified early on that a strong, vibrant city centre was needed to create the kind of growth that will change the fortunes of Stoke-on-Trent. The benefits would be twofold - to regenerate the whole city and create jobs for local people. Despite boasting a population of 250,000 people, footfall in the city centre was on the decline and the area was rated as only the 70th biggest retail centre in the country, a drop of 17 places since 2006. It was clear the city centre was punching below its weight and changes were needed.
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