Reactivate consulting helped Investment NSW - Office of the 24 Hour Economy with their Inaugural Uptown District Accelerator Program in 2022. The program was designed to help aid Sydney’s creative-led recovery from Covid-19 and build vibrant, multi-generational, accessible, and self-sustaining precincts by upskilling existing districts and building the capacity of new ones.
The Uptown Program was designed to fast track the formation of local business communities and facilitate their growth into 24-hour economy districts prior to the announcement of major funding in stage two of the program, being launched in 2023.
Reactivate helped design and conduct the program’s place visioning workshops whereby 30 different districts crafted their own unique place vision for their future vibrant districts, that along with realising their unique brand and marketing plan. Over three major workshops Reactivate worked closely with the 30 participating teams, to help build their capacity in stakeholder participation and partnership development as well as learn to collaborate together to create a self-sustaining precinct, which when done right, will hopefully operate in perpetuity.
Reactivate facilitated conversations around successful town centre precedents, and the reason behind why and what’s needed to make a main street. Reactivate also helped build district capacity by training districts around designing appropriate right place activation strategies for places that support their main high streets and local economies. This helped the teams identify a place in a district - important and significant to the local community, and how to work on place activations strategy to revive them.
The workshop included activities to help districts identify their existing assets and identify ways to utilise their existing resources, but also to identify gaps in what they need, and how to build on stakeholder and local community relationships to achieve their vision.
The program not only supported the revival of local businesses and their economies, but it also provides a platform for the local creatives to come together and take the front seat in contributing to enhance the local character and vibe of the district by supporting and encouraging the community members.
The program was designed help to activate, diversify, and improve the main street experience for the community, not only in the daytime, but also in the nighttime, thereby reviving the greater Sydney metropolitan area and the precincts to its original status of a 24-hour city.
The final District Showcase was the culmination of the 6-week program, where all districts pitched their ideas and district plans to partners, industry and government and the who’s who of Sydney’s cultural mix.
