Ian Houston’s Post

🚨26th State of the City economy conference 🚨 Great to attend this morning and see many familiar faces, all full of hope for the future of our city, towns and villages. A collaborative call to action for resources, partnerships, powers and courage. 👏🏼 Keynotes from Susan Aitken, Marvin Rees OBE Tom Arthur Ian Murray Panel input from Erika Lewis Louisa Macdonell Stuart Patrick CBE Key takeaways: 🥳Glasgow is ranked 2nd best city in UK behind London (world best city rankings) 👏🏼10 year anniversary of Glasgow City Region has exceeded its original targets 🚉Clyde Metro (a new transformational infrastructure scheme led by SPT) is on track with key announcements expected Q1 2025 🤔Lots of questions about poverty (and lack of plans to address);the airport; WFH impacts and making people proud of the city. First impressions count! 👥So much potential to do more, quicker through effective partnerships (absolutely) 🙌🏼Glasgow has amazing examples of innovation, but still suffers from significant skills deficits 🤔Plenty of strategies, not enough focus on delivery and resources to do this well 💘A call to restore pride of place and everyone playing a part in that #cities #economy #inclusivegrowth #investment #places #people #peoplemakeglasgow #business #recovery #infrastructure #inclusion #renewal #regional #partnerships #innovation #poverty #thirdsector #skills #SOCE2024 Glasgow City Council Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Glasgow City Innovation District Glasgow City Region

On this year's #WorldCitiesDay, we highlight the city of London. London is one of the world's most important financial centers, but its leadership in the ranking of the most #SustainableCities, according to the #CitiesInMotionIndex (CIMI) 2024, goes far beyond economics. The UK capital has stood out for its ability to promote economic growth based on sustainability, combining quality employment, innovation and strong governance, all in favor of the planet. 🚗 A key element of this strategy is the #UltraLowEmissionZone (ULEZ), designed to reduce air pollution. In this zone, vehicles that do not meet emissions standards must pay a fee, incentivizing the use of cleaner alternatives. Complementing this measure, congestion charging aims to reduce traffic in central London, not only decongesting the city, but also reducing carbon emissions. 🌳 Urban #Sustainability also involves investment in green infrastructure, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which not only improves air quality but also provides recreational spaces for Londoners. In terms of energy, London promotes renewable sources through projects such as the Edmonton waste-to-energy plant, which converts waste into electricity, reducing dependence on fossil fuels. 🚴♂️ #SustainableMobility has been another central pillar of London's strategy, with investments in cycling infrastructure and bike-sharing programs, as well as innovations such as the use of cable cars to reduce traffic and emissions. With one of our sites in London, we at #FRV are aligned with the city's goals, contributing to this change with innovative #RenewableEnergy solutions. London is positioning itself not only as a financial benchmark, but also as a leading city in the fight against climate change, with a view to carbon neutrality by 2030.

Collaboration, Connectivity and Celebration - Three key themes at the 26th State of the City Economy Conference. Pleased to have attended #SOCE24 and heard from Council Leader Susan Aitken and other speakers reflecting on progress made across the Glasgow City Region. Here’s a flavour of the takeaways: 🤝 Collaboration – A renewed focus on strengthening the relationship between the UK and Scottish Government and local authorities is critical for securing the investment and resources that Glasgow needs. The Govan-Partick bridge, delivered through the Glasgow City Region Deal, is a great example of what collaboration can achieve, connecting communities and boosting economic activity.  However, there was also refreshing recognition of the challenges caused by national policies, such as rent controls proposed in the Housing Bill, which have stymied investment in the city’s BTR market and led to a proliferation of PBSA Developments. 🚆Connectivity - Improving transport is key to driving renewal and investment across the city. Positive updates included progress on the Clyde Metro, with details of the first three networks coming in February, and the Avenues Project, which is redesigning urban spaces to increase footfall and support local businesses. Encouragingly, lessons are being learned by the work undertaken on Sauchiehall Street, to minimise disruption and shape how upcoming projects are managed. 🎉Celebration – The city is preparing for two major milestones, Glasgow’s 850th anniversary celebrations and the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Both are exciting opportunities for Glaswegians to reconnect with their city and for Glasgow to shine as a hub of investment and tourism on the global stage. While challenges remain, it was heartening to hear speakers outline some positive outcomes. Planning applications are back to pre-pandemic levels, and a Planning Improvement Plan is in the works—an important step to build confidence among developers and investors. One of the standout quotes came from Marvin Rees, Former Mayor of Bristol: “Never underestimate the power of small politics to get in the way of big delivery” - a reminder of the complexities involved in delivering ambitious projects. At Cavendish we specialise in helping clients navigate these challenges, to help bring impactful projects to life in Glasgow and beyond. If you’re looking to understand local dynamics that can shape your projects, feel free to get in touch. #Glasgow #CityEconomy #Investment

How can we prepare cities for extreme weather while making sure every community is treated fairly? Our annual conference brings together built environment experts to find collaborative solutions for London. When London’s temperature hit 40°C for the first time, it sent a stark warning that the city must urgently develop greater climate resilience. The point was underlined by the London Climate Resilience Review commissioned by the Mayor of London. “A regional delivery plan for climate resilience in London must be created collaboratively,” recommends the final report, published in July. As London’s independent network for the built environment, our conference will bring together sector stakeholders to understand the implications of the climate resilience review and consider new ways to address these challenges. *** Climate Resilience and Equity *** Tuesday 8 October in central London. Conference themes include: >> Building and neighbourhood design – from retrofit to nature-based solutions >> London and elsewhere – the pan-London response and international learning >> Health and climate resilience – equity for all London’s communities >> Public engagement – winning community support and involving young people >> Making it happen – finance, strategic planning, partnerships For updates on confirmed speakers and registration, click the link in comments below. Thanks to the project steering group Becci Taylor Patrick Devlin Rhianna Wilsher Nicola Tilbury MRICS Tom Beardmore Rob Krzyszowski Dr Tom Dollard Laura Murray Jacob Heitland Thanks also to our conference sponsors Arup, Countryside Partnerships, Impact on Urban Health, Local Partnerships LLP, Mount Anvil, Pollard Thomas Edwards, Potter Raper, Trowers & Hamlins #FutureOfLondon #ClimateResilienceEquity2024

It's pathetic to see that, for electoral reasons, elected members of the Ecolo party are denying what should be their fundamental values and raison d'être, namely the protection of nature and biodiversity and the fight against global warming!  Instead, by felling more than 250 tall trees and concrete soils, they are planning to destroy a biodiversity corridor in Brussels in order to build housing, when alternatives exist (more efficient management of the existing housing stock, conversion of office buildings and other grey areas, etc.).

That's it; #LabourPartyConference2024 done. No longer a “conference-virgin”, but much like any #Glastonbury festival, there were a number of events I would love to have made, but couldn't be in two places at the same time! The quality of the discussion was high calibre throughout and a number of Ministers met. And as one new (and New Town!) MP put it, this felt more like a #housing conference with a bit of politics on the side! Very well done The Labour Party on the whole curation. And very well done Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and Starship, for some excellent hosting at the brilliant M&S Bank Arena Liverpool. Should we have come? Absolutely. We have a great deal to contribute to in the development of Government policy, which hopefully makes life easier for all. It was also particularly rewarding to see how the additional space we helped procure for the Local Government Association allowed them to debate issues that affect them most: #climate, #financialresilience, #healthycommunities, #homebuilding, #devolution and how to create a more effective and sustainable #SEND system. Look forward to seeing what the next 12months brings...and being back next year. Cllr Liam Robinson, Nuala Gallagher Douglas Trainer Starship (September / 'the 'Scouse House') Core Cities UK Stephen Jones Bradshaw Advisory iNHouse Communications Louise Wyman Jessica Ainsworth #CBRELiverpool CBRE UK

Collaboration at Scale!!! I had the pleasure of taking part in the BusinessLDN Meet the Deputy Mayors Roundtable with Mete Coban MBE Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy today. Some highlights include: - Social justice is being considered for all of London in line with London's growth plans - London's waterways are going to be a new focus for creating a healthy and biodiverse city - Businesses should capitalise on the net zero / clean energy transition - We cannot rely on small initiatives and need to co-produce and co-design a greener fairer London - New funds are coming forth to drive low carbon outcomes at scale across multiple boroughs -Climate resilience needs to be built into the wider plans - Skills and capacity building needs to take shape at scale - District energy and retrofit plans should also consider low energy solutions such as Passive House (Passivhaus) It was great to hear that the environment, green innovation and clean energy are central to the Greater London Authority growth plans, with collaboration between businesses, industry and community taking centre stage to realise the cities net zero and climate resilience. Collaboration and co creation are central also to the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability mission and UEL's careers first and business partnership approach. Are stars aligning for a greener and just transition? Watch this space! #cleanenergy #environment #energy #carbon #retrofit #community #business #industry #collaboration University of East London #London #skills

FOOTPRINT+ announces agenda and speaker line-up for its 2024 show on the 8th and 9th May in Old Billingsgate, London. With a strong focus on domestic retrofit and public sector estate decarbonisation, there's plenty on offer for local authorities. Conference sessions include talks discussing the decarbonisation of Hillingdon Council's Civic Centre, how Westminister City Council breathed new life into a 1930s leisure centre, Samuel Evans from Greater Manchester Combined Authority will look at BNG in dense urban environments and Kerstin Kane, Principal Planning Officer at the City of London Corporation, focuses on retrofit-first planning policy, whilst Norfolk County Council's talk will cover the role of the public sector in galvanising the circular economy. Speaking bout the event, Nicola Beech, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Strategic Planning, Resilience & Floods at Bristol City Council says: "I’ve been really impressed with FOOTPRINT+, the sheer amount there is available to learn. Bring people from across your organisation, not just the senior leaders. Your workforce can learn a lot from the conference, ask questions and get into the detail of how to deliver on the objectives that we are all trying to pursue." More details here: https://lnkd.in/eRgjUtDK #industryevent #conference #exhibition #retrofit #newbuild #netzero #decarbonisation #sustainability #planning #localauthorities #specifiers #publicsector #builtenvironment #circulareconomy

We’re excited to share the Scottish Cities Alliance’s 2023-2024 Annual Report! Over the past year, we’ve expanded our reach and influence, thanks to the support of city leaders, council officers, The Scottish Government, and our fantastic partners, led by Chair Cllr John Alexander Key Highlights:   🔵 Showcasing Scotland's Cities: We’ve promoted Scotland’s eight cities on national stages, attracting capital despite economic challenges. Our efforts culminated in a Team Scotland approach at UKREiiF and our own programme in London, Scottish Cities Week, highlighting Scotland’s strengths in Data & Digital Technologies, Health & Life Sciences, Energy Transition, and Advanced Manufacturing. 🔵 Net Zero Transition: We’ve driven initiatives like the Climate Delivery Framework and Scottish Climate Intelligence to fund and manage the transition to a zero-carbon economy. These initiatives, set for approval, will support coordinated action and improve decision-making for emissions reduction, unlocking investment opportunities in the net zero pipeline. 🔵 City Centre Recovery: The Alliance provided a vital platform for discussing policy, sharing best practices, and developing solutions through our peer-to-peer network. 🔵 Smart City Achievements: We completed the £34.7 million “Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City” program, delivering 39 projects and 96 new services. Inspired by this success, Dunfermline is developing its own Smart City Strategy. Looking ahead, we remain committed to fostering local and national collaboration, ensuring Scotland’s cities are globally competitive destinations for investment. https://lnkd.in/d8DuHcSF

👉 Be Part of the Change! Your Voice Matters More Than Ever in Shaping Our Future! Imagine a city where every road, bus stop, bike lane, and community space is designed with YOU in mind. What if you had a real say in the big decisions that impact your daily life? 🌍🏙️ In every strategic plan, from transport to housing and green spaces, citizen voices are the missing piece that make cities work for everyone. Why? Because who knows better than the people who live, work, and play there every day! 💬 🔊 We want to hear from YOU:  👉 What would you change about your city’s transportation? 👉 How can we make spaces more accessible and sustainable? 👉 What’s your vision for a better, more connected city? Your comments, feedback, and ideas can inspire real change. So, drop a comment below! Let’s make this an open conversation on how we can build a brighter, more inclusive future—together! 🌱🚉🏢 📣 Ready to be heard? Comment now and let your voice shape our city's future! 📣Free Registration: https://lnkd.in/dGxdPXQm Time: 22 November 2024 at 11 AM, 90 minutes workshop VOTE TRA is funded by the hashtag Research Ireland through the Digital Voting Hub for Sustainable Urban Transport System, VOTE TRA project (22/NCF/DR/11309). #NationalChallengeFund #NextGenerationEU #CitizenEngagement #YourVoiceMatters #ShapingOurCities #FutureCity #UrbanDevelopment #SustainableCities #PeopleFirst #CommunityVoice #BuildBetterTogether #FutureOfUrbanLiving #EngageWithUs #IrelandSpeaks #UrbanInnovation #MakeADifference