...supporting our communities

World Cities Network has been invited by the City of London to facilitate the ‘communities’ theme. This will focus on how changing demographics - such as an aging population, immigration and cost of living may impact on the City.

“Developing a vision for the City of London is an enormously important task which can guide us in delivering a bright future for all our communities. Your contribution and involvement is greatly appreciated.” 

Fiona Woolf CBE, Lord Mayor

OBJECTIVES

• To collate and communicate the perspectives of a representative group of private, public, and civil society groups of the challenges, opportunities, and recommended action plans
• To provide an opportunity for discussion and debate of the key actions that the City should consider to ensure the City remains world class and builds upon its success over the long term
• To deliver a report to the City that accurately records the perspectives and the discussion and helps shape future policies for the City and London more broadly

COMMUNITIES INVOLVED

Groups and individuals that are invited to participate include businesses of all sizes, livery companies, public and health bodies, faith groups, voluntary group, residents and charities.

SCOPE

The main aim is to consider the needs and aspirations of different generations of people. Areas covered will include all aspects of community life including future housing and community facilities, health & wellbeing, safety and welfare, and issues such as:

• Ageing and diversifying population
• Economic diversification
• Cost of living / affordability
• Climate change and resource depletion
• Concerns about quality of environment
• Technology and information advances enabling 
• Mobility, connectivity, assisted living

PLAN

Groups and individuals will be invited to participate in an online discussion forum hosted by the City of London as well as a series of themed workshops. 

For further information please email transportandsustainability@cityoflondon.gov.uk

A Vision for the City

The City Vision 2050 project will analyse and assess the challenges and opportunities the City will face, and examine how the City can build on its strengths and to continue to deliver world class services up to in 2050.

The project will engage City businesses, City officials, livery companies, interest groups and residents. The knowledge, experience and differing perspectives these groups will bring to the table should enable a comprehensive resilience profile for 2050 to be built.

The project will focus on the five City Together themes, critical to a strong and able City in 2050;

• Competitive and promotes opportunity – focusing on the built environment, transport and energy infrastructure

• Supports our communities- looking at how changing demographics- particularly an aging population may impact on the City

• Protects, promotes and enhances our environment – focusing on sustainable consumption, water supply, localised flooding and air quality

• Vibrant and culturally rich – looking at cultural vibrancy, protection of heritage and business mix

• Safer and stronger – looking at resilience and how changing technologies may impact on the City.

The project will deliver a series of facilitated workshops based around these themes and how they may change the character or constrain the City in the future. These workshops will take place between February 2014 and June 2014.

This process will result in a published executive summary of findings, display materials and an internet-based detailed report. We will present these findings to the City Residents meeting which takes place on Monday 23 June 2014. The output from the programme will demonstrate the City’s leadership in this area and provide input into regional, national and international work.

As the City of London is a strategic asset of national importance, the development of a horizon scanning project examining resilience can make a valuable contribution to a vital debate at a local, regional, national and international level.

City Future 2050 – What will this mean to you?

London has seen tremendous changes over the past 50 years. The City of London has seen huge changes, the City's residential population in 1850 was around 125,000 compared with the 7,500 that live here today.  

Over the next few decades there may be similar seismic changes across Greater London, with a forecast growth in population of up to 2 million. The number of people commuting into the Square Mile to work may rise to over 400,000 and the City’s residents may increase by 40%. 

The rate and pace of change driven by technology also seems to be getting faster; 3D printers, Google Glasses,  internet shopping, and driverless cars will all change the way we live in ways we cannot imagine.  

A changing climate, air pollution, traffic congestion and flooding may also affect our environment and our lifestyles.

What will all of this mean to the City as a place to live, work and visit?

In order to explore some of these questions, the City is supporting an innovative project which asks:  

‘What do we think the City will be like as a place to live, work and visit in 2050?’

A Utopia or a Distopia?

The City’s Transport and Sustainability Forum will be holding five consultative workshops up to the end of  May 2014 to explore these issues, and we would welcome your involvement and participation.

The results of our initial thoughts will be shared at the Residents’ Meeting in June 2014. For more details please contact: transportandsustainability@cityoflondon.gov.uk