Practical vacancy management: Taking the town centre of Schelklingen as an example

Over the past few decades, a steady shift in land use has been observed across almost all sectors of the retail industry. This is reflected in the urban landscape. In city centres in particular, this has led to negative consequences such as vacant shop premises, desolate shop windows and deserted pedestrian zones. This phenomenon can be observed in both large cities and smaller towns in rural areas. The aim of this paper is to examine what facilities and conditions must be present at a location in a rural area to encourage new businesses to establish themselves there. Furthermore, the paper seeks to clarify what possible alternative uses are available for vacant shop premises.