Designing better business parks

Purpose-built business parks offer a cheaper but not necessarily more popular alternative to city centre offices. Recent examples aim to improve this reputation. The lack of local facilities at many business parks can result in a lifeless and even depressing environment, without the social benefits of a city environment. Near Scotland's M8 motorway, the Maxim business park aims to change this view. The park is designed to include similar amenities to a town centre, with good communications, work spaces and surrounding environment. Maxim must compete to attract businesses. To do so it benefits from a skilled local workforce, good communications, flexible space and the financial benefits of its location in an enterprise zone. Alongside these it is adding social incentives such as on-site retail, nursery and entertainment facilities. The businesses the site will likely attract are in the service sector - financial services and call centres are possibilities. The success of the park depends on the success of the service sector and the economic situation.