David Parkin on what makes cities great and Ryanair gymnastics
WHAT makes a great city?
I was pondering that question following a briefing with the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership this week.
It was nice to hear about ambitions that are both big and will take time. Leave vision to politicians and you will more often than not only get ambitions that get them past the next election.
While unelected bodies like LEPs have still to make a significant impact in the English regions, I get the feeling that their time is coming.
With devolvement of some central government funding and powers to the regions coupled with significant European funding and an improving economy, the LEPs now have the chance to seize the day.
If they can keep the politicians from too much meddling then they can play a part in the growth and prosperity of our city regions.
I get the sense that all Yorkshire’s cities are on the up.
Sheffield has combined its strong manufacturing heritage with the development of new sectors like digital.
York’s history and heritage will always be in its favour but it also has a pulsing commercial heart too.
Hull is building towards being Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2017.
Wakefield has a new shopping centre and the world class Hepworth Centre.
Bradford, for so long the sick man of our region’s cities, looks like it will finally get its long-awaited and much doubted Westfield shopping centre.
I suppose I’ve missed Ripon, but it has enough in its favour to not need bigging up by me.
Leeds has the first direct arena and Trinity shopping centre – but will have to start talking about something else soon. But people did spend 15 years talking about Harvey Nichols in Leeds, during which time Manchester built two Selfridges.
So all our cities have something to shout about but for them to make the most of the opportunities, leadership, both from the public and private sectors is key.
The LEPs certainly have a role to play and it was interesting to hear a private sector perspective on what is needed to make a city great.
Rashik Parmar, president of the IBM Academy of Technology, a Leeds resident who travels the world in his role with global player IBM, has joined the LEP board to work alongside chairman Roger Marsh, the former boss of PwC in the region.
He worked on the IBM Smarter Cities programme and, as he says: “I live in Leeds and I spend my days travelling away from the region.
“With the IBM Smarter Cities programme I was helping all these other cities do well and I thought: ‘what am I doing for my kids’?”
While Rashik highlighted the city region’s “unique capabilities around healthcare and intelligent manufacturing, energy creation, the digital sector”, it was also illuminating to hear what else he thinks will make the city great.
So he’s thinking about the infrastructure of what it means to live in the city and Leeds City Council’s “unique initiative” to make it a child friendly, family city.
“Every city has something that is special but would I want to live there? No city is perfect. We can learn from every city. Learn from
what cities have done right and wrong and apply them in the right way,” said Rashik.
It will be fascinating to see what can be achieved, not just in Leeds, but in all our incredible, unique cities.
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I KNOW we complain about those in the public sector getting paid too much or spending too much of our money, but may be it has gone too far.
At the Leeds City Region LEP briefing at Leeds Metropolitan University’s Rosebowl building this week, chairman Roger Marsh offered a plate of mince pies to me and other journalists.
“I bought them myself,” he informed us with a smile.
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RYANAIR recent celebrated flying six million passengers from Leeds Bradford Airport.
To mark the “momentous occasion” (that’s what the press release said) the Irish airline invited the Leeds Gymnastics Club to perform a routine at the airport.
Hopefully the gymnasts were also able to show passengers how to sqeeze into the seats and make their cabin baggage fit.
Have a lovely weekend.
