Why was the Institute of Place Management formed, and what are its objectives?
It was formed to support people doing these really important jobs. Our research has shown that there are many, many people engaged in place management all over the world, but they are not recognized as professionals. And so, even though they may look after the area and engage well with its stakeholders, they are often overlooked. We wanted to raise awareness of its importance and so get it onto the same footing as other more established professions, such as town planning. We also offer continuing professional development and qualifications. Place managers tend to be hybrid professionals, people with a lot of experience and a highly developed skill set. But there are a number of skills and prerequisite knowledge that they need in order to do the job properly. So we’ve been working with universities to develop postgraduate qualifications in place management. We’ve accredited an MSc in place management and an MA in urban regeneration at Manchester Metropolitan University, and an MA in pla
