What's YOUR big and bold vision for city?
HOW would you like your city of the future to be? This is the question the Government has asked a select number of cities, including Plymouth, to consider during the next month, for its TSB Future Cities Demonstrator project.
It has set aside funds of more than £160million for the UK city that can most inspirationally and articulately demonstrate it has a big bold vision for its future – that other cities across the UK and Europe could learn from as a model.
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During the past two weeks local leaders, including the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, have been invited to take part in articulating that big, bold vision for Plymouth, and the results are exciting and engaging.
It's a project that speaks strongly to Plymouth's 2020 vision of being one of Europe's most vibrant waterfront cities, a place where people want to visit, work and live.
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At my Future Cities workshop there was talk of a city of connected communities, a place where each community was engaged, inspired and empowered to be part of creating its own bright future.
A Plymouth truly connected by a seamless, integrated transport system that linked road, to water, to rail to bike to air.
There was a desire for a powerful health and wellbeing data system which linked hospitals to doctors to social care – effortlessly – in a way that the citizens themselves could access and contribute to.
Communities at a grass roots level would be connected to funding and resource to create and stimulate enterprise, and therefore create new jobs using new forms of funding like crowd-funding and "sandboxes" – small seed funds accessible to many.
A sustainable Plymouth was at the heart of the vision – a place where "eco houses" and communities would be the norm and all environmental wastage would be reduced and recycled.
We discussed the notion of "citizenpreneurs", where citizens felt engaged and connected and inspired to use some of the best entrepreneurial skills for the benefit of the city itself.
It was a hugely exciting and inspiring discussion, and most impressive was the high levels of skills, talent and confidence in the room amongst participants, and the appetite to contribute to a real step change in Plymouth's future.
But it's not just up to the council to get the £160million. If we want the cash, we, the citizens, have got to show we want it.
With this in mind, please tweet #futurecityplymouth and tell us what kind of city you'd like your future Plymouth to be.
Comments
by Nevman
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 12:40AM
“I notice you don't demand that voters should be born in or near the city they reside in, CharlieBob - but then, that would rather put the kybosh on your voting for your beloved UKIP in Plymouth elections, wouldn't it?”
by jabbathebutt
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 11:33PM
“Lets have a fleet of camera cars !. ..... not .”
by CharlieDodd
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 11:24PM
“How do people get to be councillors anyway? Evans is from Wales, and Pengelly is a Cornish name. Surely ALL councillors should be born in or near the city they're supposed to represent, and should have always lived in or near it?”
by CharlieDodd
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 11:16PM
“A nice new shiny space-age pier would look nice”
by tony1976
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 11:11PM
“What does Plymouth need? Simple! Two things will put Plymouth back on the map! First of all the promised building projects that have yet to be visualised, i.e. The BBC building at the Salt Quay (what happened to that?) Also the well talked about 'landmark' tower just along the road from Salt Quay. Plus the more recent building development at the top of Mayflower Street, and the greatest mistake in not going ahead with the building project on the Woolworth's site, which would have revived the West end of the city centre.
Secondly, If Plymouth continues to fail in drawing new and exciting retailers to the city centre, it will become a backwater city in just a few years. Unfortunately, 'little' Exeter got the John Lewis store, but why can't it not attract a 'bigger fish' like 'Ikea,' which would certainly turn around its fortunes. Also, it is a disgrace to see a building like 'Derry's to reamain empty - who is responsible for this? It is sad to see such a great historical city dying like this while city councillors watch it go down.”
by Waltersmith
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 10:55PM
“Well Charlie - like everything else in Plymouth it ain't going to happen”
by CharlieDodd
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 8:51PM
“..'What's YOUR big and bold vision for city?'..
That's easy, get rid of the labour and tory councillors and put UKIP in charge..:)”
by Winstonsmith0
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 8:16PM
“Surely Plymouth is already an inspiration to other cities. Just look at the big bold decisions our politicians have been taking for years. See how the city now thrives as a result and how we can expect hundreds of thousands to arrive in our fair city over the next decade; hundreds of thousands of tons of waste from elsewhere in Devon, that is.
Look at how we have forged ahead with an integrated transport network and how happy everyone is to live here.
Now, could someone kindly explain how this possibly links in with 'Plymouth's 2020 vision of being one of Europe's most vibrant waterfront cities, a place where people want to visit, work and live'
Let's start with achieving high levels of recycling - and I don't mean that profit-led old chestnut where someone claims that burning waste is somehow 'recycling'. Let's follow that with health and wellbeing and a sustainable city.
Come on then Tudor - give it a go.
Plymouth - space of waste!”
by adadad1
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 6:47PM
“Significant tourist destination would be a realistic goal.
At the heart of this, a heritage super museum in the Citadel ( marines would have to go ) with a replica of the Golden hind, and the Mayflower moored below the Citadel at the Mayflower steps. if Bristol can do the "Matthew" AND s.s. Great Britain, we can manage that. Also HMS Plymouth would be useful as part of this, and some ww2 aircraft or replica thereof.
Put a big peir and promenade close to sea level so you can walk around the fore shore a long way and put back the pontoons that used to float offshore for swimmers to enjoy.
Then an amusement park, not a janner job but something to rival Alton Towers.
Stoke on Trent is the UK'S most popular tourist destination outside of London on account of Alton Towers with 5 million visitors a year, we should have some of that.
Cruise liner berthing facility would also be imperative, but there needs to be stuff worth seeing.
Demolish 1/2 the city centre and put in a big FLAT park with an artificial lake and some trees and somewhere for bands to perform. Put cafes / bars on 2 sides under covered walkways and a kids play area to the 3rd side covered, then even if its raining we can accommodate tourists. Oh yeah enlarge the Mall and also issue tazers to shoppers who can while away a rainy day incapacitating chuggers.
Its no good expecting visitors to visit our rain soaked semi derelict water front and laughable museum and be inspired to ever return.
Most of the ideas in the Herald article above are so unoriginal and probably represent vested interest groups or individuals desperate to get / stay on the gravy train.
Plymouth can be great again depending on transport comms of course but the ideas in the article are mostly pants.
I DONT DO TWITTER SO IM VENTING IT HERE!”
by Bouffant1984
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 5:40PM
“160 Million does not sound like very much money for such an all-encompassing ambition.
What this city desperately needs is middle class jobs and better infrastructure (air&rail). The top brass could really do with showing a genuine interest in certain industry sectors. And this probably means getting out there and asking open end questions: not thinking that they already have the answer (the classic public sector echo-chamber mistake).
If I could have a wish list too, making the city centre more modern and bulldozing Union Street would be pretty up there as well.”