What offerings can be imagined for Lancaster city centre to create a

supportive environment for foreign students studying at Lancaster ?

Alicia, Michael, Neko

Introducion1. Research aim

2. Research objective (what we want to know)

3. Research methods (what methods we used)

Introduction – Research Aim

• To improve the supportive environment for international students within the town center and increase their social interaction by creating a more attractive place to consort.

• The research will focus on identifying the problems and restrictions of foreign students at Lancaster University in terms of their social life and producing a creative alternative of an off-campus location for students.

Introduction – Research Objective

• Investigate what places were available for foreign students outside

of the university

• Investigate the current empty shop locations around the city center

• Investigate locations that were previously empty shops and find out

how they have become successful

• Understand what activities and social events will attract foreign

students to attend them

• Co-design with foreign students and users to develop new ideas

together to solve the problem

• Evaluate what kind of idea can be feasibly developed in this project

• Decide on a final idea to improve the supportive environment for

foreign students within the town center.

Introduction – Methods of research usedMind Mapping – This allowed us to outline our users most important

key factors to highlight where we needed to focus on to make sure that we create the supportive environment that meets the foreign students needs.

Interviews – We interviewed two stakeholders in the process of our

research: Shop owners around Lancaster city centre and International students of Lancaster University through one-to-one interviews, over the phone and also online questionnaires.

Observation – Watching international students around the city centre,

we could see what shops they would visit and where they most liked to congregate. We also observed by…

Participating – Asking at information desks and tourist centre’s to find

out first hand about the places around Lancaster targeting international students.

Secondary research – lays the ground work for empty shops so that

we know where to look. Also gives us a large amount of information on the history and present information on them.

Quotes from locals

1. Observation of local people; where they go, places they visit and how often.

2. Interviews of shop owners

3. ‘Storey’ shop observation and participation

Quotes from the locals• Observations of local people, where they go and what places they

visit

Oriental food and noodle bar

Lancaster Local market

Mung foods Oriental store

Chop house local restaurant

• Participation – ‘Storey centre of arts’ information centre in Lancaster.

We could not locate much information for international students at the centre and was told that events being held for international students should be consulted at the Universities campus. This tells us that there are no areas for social interaction specifically developed for students.

The tourist information on offer at the ‘Storey’. We collected some information about what events usually take place around the city centre. We could not locate any information for international students at the centre and was told that events being held for international students should be consulted at the Universities campus. This tells us that there are no areas for social interaction specifically developed for students.

For the observation of the project, our team member participated in the observations by going to the information desk in Lancaster and asking about events specifically for students.

Quotes from the locals

The free magazine from the ‘Storey’. It introduces events in the city centre. However, it is mainly focus on tourists and families.

Interview – With local shop owners of various of shops.

For the interview of the project, our team member visited many different shops in the city centre. We asked them the same questions about their business and the customer information.

Some shops have quite amount of international student customer. Whilst other have their own certain customer group.

St. John's Hospice Lancastrian estates

Quotes from the locals

Basic information

Length of business

experience

Customer (international

students) flow/ week

peak time Busiest day in the week

Social advertisement/

Promotion

Beneficial connection with Lancaster

University

Full House Noodle Bar

4 months 100 - 200 Lunch time Wednesday and

weekends

Social media (Weibo)

-

K.F Oriental Food Store

5 years 700+ Afternoons Wednesday and

weekends

CCSA (School society)

Through students

CCSA

St. John's Hospice

- 20 9 a.m.& 2 – 4 p.m.

Mon. Wed. Fri.

Radio, magazine, posters, banners,

Facebook, website

Have a shop in the campus

Book Shop 15 yearsminimum

30 - 40 Afternoon - Evening

Saturday Website, TV Lancaster University library donates books

Lancastrian estates

Living agency

8 years 10 - 15 Lunch time Mon. & Fri. property guide -

Esquire – Barber Shop

11.5 years 20 - 30 Afternoons Saturday Facebook, advertisement

board

Student discount; purple card

Esquire – hair salonhave student discount.

Purple card

K.F Oriental Food Store was opened 5 years ago. The owner was a computer technician, who has been living in Lancaster for 20 years. He noticed there was no such supermarket in Lancaster City, so he decided to give it a try. They were in the big Market across the street. After the market ran down, they bought a 2-floor shop, but the upstairs was empty.

International students asked him if he could run a business where they can have Chinese fast-food, so the Full House Noodle Bar was opened in July, 2013. It’s located on the 2nd floor of the supermarket.

SPECIFIC CASE K.F ORIENTAL FOOD STORE

According to the shop owner, 80% of the customers are oversee students, 100 people per day in average.

Wednesday and Saturday normally are very busy, because the free bus of Sainsbury's brought loads of students come to the city centre, also the market.

Personas1. Interview of students

2. Student interview outcome

3. Online survey

4. Online survey outcome

Students interviews -- 10 participants

Nationality Age

Most of interviewees are postgraduates age at 20~23

What do you usually do on leisure time?

Shopping and eating take up a relatively big proportion when interviewees getting involved with town centre.

Most of them hope for rest and reading when they have leisure time.

What do you generally do on :

Most of students will go to the town center on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, especially on Saturday.

Who do you visit the town centre?

Do you often go out with students in the same nation or different nations?

Most of interviewees like going out with students from different nations.

When interviewees go out alone, usually they only go out for necessities.

When they go out with friends, they would both choose shopping and eating.

How many people would you go for a social out with usually?

Most of the interviewees will go out with less than 5 people

Do you think it is enough types of shops in town? If not, what kind of shops do you hope to see in Lancaster city centre?

enough Not enough

• 4 persons think that’s enough. • Halal shops

• Comic books

• Bubble milk tea shop

• Coffee shops(organic, desserts)

• Not enough but no suggestions

• Clothing in big brands (H&M, ZARA,

Primark)

Foods related shops, clothing shops are what interviewees hoping for.

How does it feel for you to be a foreigner in Lancaster?

Positive points negative points

• Difficult because my family is not with

me.

• Lonely sometimes.

• Boring sometimes.

• It‘s a little boring!

• Not that great because I’d rather be in

my hometown.

• So-so

• I’ve settled in quite quickly

• It’s a good place to be.

• Don’t be any issues, It’s good.

• Quite happy.

• I hope make new friends here.

• Peaceful, café of convenience, suitable

place for study.

Almost half of students think Lancaster is a good place and feel positive about their life.

Lonely and boring and homesick is the negative reflection.

Conclusions

• Overseas students usually go to the city centre only on Wednesday, Saturday and

Sunday because of the busy study.

• Some of them would go to social while some of them just go for necessities.

• Most of them will go in the city centre with friends, usually in kinds of nations.

• About the current types offerings, half students thinks that it’s not enough. Food/drinks,

and clothes are what they most hoping for.

• Half of interviewees thinks that life here is good while boring life and homesick besides

stress become the negative image of life here.

Online survey --- 30 participantsBelarus

British

British-Welsh

China

Colombia

Greek

HK

Mexican

Singapore

South Korea

Sri Lankan

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

They are from They are

From the basic information we have had from the online survey, most of the international students are studying in the postgraduate project. There are quite amount of students come from Asia (China, Korea, Thailand etc.). 80% of them are at the age from 22-27, 77% of our participants are female.

How often and what for?

Due to the busy life style, more than half (53%) the participants only go to city centre once a week , 23% of them go twice a week. For 60% of them, the main purpose to go to the city centre is to buy necessities, followed by social purpose and events in the city centre (12%).

26 (60%)

6 (14%)

2 (5%)

5 (12%)

2 (5%)

1 (2%)

1 (2%)Others

Supermarkets 28 93%

Bars 1 3%

Restaurants 0 0%

Cloth shops 1 3%

Others 0 0%

Where do you usually go in town center? How much do you spend usually?

Supermarkets are the main destinations for 93% of the international students to go to the city centre. For social purpose, bars only got 3% and 0% for restaurants.

Who do you visit the city centre with (e.g. friends, family, etc.)?

Alone My friends, like flatmates Friends or alone Myself Alone or Friends No one Usually alone Alone, sometimes with friends Friends Not reallyFriends Friends or myselfClassmates or aloneBy myselfThough the online survey, we have learned that going to the city centre alone maybe the reason why they don’t spend much time in socializing in the city centre. So we couldn’t help wonder if it is possible for international students to find a place where they are willing to go alone but meanwhile it can also provide some opportunities for them to meet other people or other international students.

Potential Empty Shops

1. Empty shops mapping

2.Detailed of potential empty shops

Empty shops Mapping

The map presents the empty shops in BID.

More empty shops distributed on the outlying district.

About

Potential empty shops 01

This was a big building near the “NEXT” bus stop. In the junction of Common Garden St and King St.

About

If space and independence of a shop is the biggest part of concerned, this can be a good choice, especially with bus stop around there.

potential

• About 60 m*m each one

• 18 within 2 mins

HOUSEHOLDS, ART RELATED, FOODS

Supermarkets such as Chinese supermarket, curtains, pets, music shop, gallery

Surrounding offerings

Potential empty shop 02

1 of 6Contact UsLorem ipsum dolor, 03663, State, CountryP. 123 456 7890 / email@domain.com

About 30 m*m. 2 storey

42 within 2 mins

This was a big building near the “NEXT” bus stop. In the centre of penny ST. Used to be an office.

About

With relatively big flow of passer-bys. If we are going to open shops that need currency and aimed at Asians, this may be a good choice.

potential

SUPERMARKETS, HOUSEHOLDS, SERVICE AGENCY

Supermarkets such as Chinese supermarket, M&S and a Bus stop

Surrounding offerings

Potential empty shop 03

Drinks & FOODS such as COSTA, MacDonald, cosmetics, clothes, services

Surrounding offerings The extremely big flow of passer-bys is its strong point, especially in the

centre of the main street. If we need to open shops that need big flows and less focus on traffic factors, these two will be a good ones.

potential

70m*m

100m*m

Two ones stands opposite to each other in the main street in town.

About

Potential empty shop 04

DRINKING, LIFE AGENCY

Surrounding offerings

potential

AboutTwo big ones in China Street.

These two are proper to be shops without too much consideration about

traffic and passer-bys. It can be in special type of business such as pet

related shops.

THANK YOU