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  I guess it depends how you define 'affluence'. The social trend is for smaller family units. A 'family' of one or two workers with small space demands likely has more disposable income than families with children and a mortgage on a large home. So building bigger houses in the town centre wouldn't answer the affluence problem. If indeed there is one: we've many family houses in Priory Hill, generally older folk. Last one to sell down my way became 3 flats. Young singles and couples moved in, accompanied by their Audis and BMWs. Another just sold, likely the same.
  
  But the degradation of the town centre is less to do with the presence or absence of 'affluence' and more to do with the individualisation of social activities (cinema to home entertainment, live music to streaming, pubs to home drinking) and the depersonalisation of the consumer experience (self-service, online shopping etc.). (Both likely to be accelerated by the virus fear.) Shopping used to be a loud, vibrant and risky experience, especially in the heaving markets; now it's a dull, mechanised trudge.

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