Building Better Cities: Delivering Growth and Opportunities
INTRODUCTION
Scotland's future is bound up with the future of its cities. This recognition led to a major Review of Scotland's Cities designed to address the challenges and opportunities faced by Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
The wide-ranging remit for the review was:
"To review the current prospects for the economic, environmental and social development of our five cities; and to identify Executive policies which will improve those prospects, taking account of interactions between the cities, their surrounding areas and the rest of Scotland."
The five cities were singled out for attention not just because they include the four largest urban communities in Scotland, but because all five are at the core of wider regions, mutually interdependent in terms of employment, housing and leisure. While Stirling has recently become Scotland's sixth city, the analysis has not extended to the specific challenges there. Nonetheless, many of the conclusions will apply there too.
The aim of the review was to look at cities as places. To consider the cumulative impacts of policies, both their intended and unintended consequences. To look at how local authorities, the Scottish Executive, public agencies, local communities and the business sector work together to establish a future vision for the cities collectively and individually, translate that vision into an operational strategy and then deliver that strategy. To audit how effective Scotland is at managing strategic change at the city level. Inevitably the review could not cover every issue - health issues for example were not part of the remit. Nevertheless, the review process has been a major exercise to draw together the strategic challenges and the responses for our cities.
Scottish urban policy and practice has often provided a model of good practice by UK and international standards, for example in integrating training and economic development projects and in community-led regeneration of housing.
A Sounding Board, an Academic Advisory Panel and several hundred others involved in city issues have taken the time and effort to contribute to the process.
This statement is not intended to redefine each and every Executive policy of relevance to Scotland's cities. Its aim is to set out the challenges and directions that will shape policy in the months and years ahead. This statement, and the accompanying analysis report prepared through extensive consultation, draws together the wealth of knowledge already held by the Executive, academics and the broader policy-making community.
