I’m looking forward to the next Citizens Forum about Destination City on Monday May 20 – not least hoping to find out just what it is. Booking here. See below for an update from the event. Councillor Brendan Barns, the Resident Representative on the City Envoy Network, has previously organised some excellent Forum events. Earlier … Continue reading “What is Destination City now – and who is it for?”
Update: The City Corporation posted on Twitter/X “The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has lifted the Section 31 Holding Direction on the London Wall West planning application and decided not to call-in the application. We will now progress with issuing permission to allow works to commence on site”. May 17 2024. … Continue reading “City approves London Wall West scheme – but Gove orders a pause”
Next week City of London Corporation committees will discuss a final report from Paul Martin’s review of the Destination City programme, and public papers now available include a summary of recommendations. Background in this earlier post, and the presentation by Paul to a recent Citizens Forum. One suggestion in the summary is that the Square … Continue reading “Official summary of Destination City review published”
A review of Destination City, due out shortly, is likely to recommend that the future programme drops costly events like the “spectacular” 2023 version of Bartholomew Fair. Instead it should focus on promoting the Square Mile’s unique culture and heritage, improving the public realm of streets and spaces, and building stronger partnerships with key organisations … Continue reading “Last minute ideas for the Destination City review”
The second Citizens Forum event about Destination City, held yesterday evening, was a great success on several counts. It was a fascinating venue, the content was highly relevant, drinks and food generous, and the overall style engaging. I also figured out a technical fix to deal with my hearing problem, which may be more generally … Continue reading “Citizens Forum gets first-hand report of Destination City review”
Exploration of the radical history of Clerkenwell will take a big jump forward with a new project announced by the Marx Memorial Library. Here’s their press release: “The Marx Memorial Library (MML) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded funding by the Association for Independent Museums, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, for … Continue reading “Marx Memorial Library engages Clerkenwell community in its radical history”
Councillor Brendan Barns has reported back from the first Citizens Forum event with some fascinating insights from the residents who attended. Brendan organised the informal event as the Resident Representative on the City Envoy Network with a remit “to represent the collective views of residents on the Destination City agenda”. Here’s background on the programme. … Continue reading “What residents want from Destination City – and what they can offer”
Last night’s Citizens Forum about Destination City attracted some 60 residents from the Square Mile, but unfortunately confirmed my fear that it would be therapy with free drinks rather than genuine engagement. (Ref: yesterday’s post and Arnstein’s ladder). Councillor Brendan Barns, the Resident Representative on the City Envoy Network, who organised the event, has a … Continue reading “Why the Square Mile needs Citizens Forums 2.0 – and more”
The City of London’s flagship programme to attract visitors is currently under review – and on Monday residents will have a chance to say what they think is needed. What will make the Square Mile a better place to live, as well as work and visit? So far the only formal consultation has been for … Continue reading “Residents get a chance to shape Destination City 2.0 – maybe”
Over the past year I’ve focussed mainly on projects in the City and Clerkenwell that developed from the idea of Exploring EC1, started before the pandemic. More background on that below, with plans for further development including an exciting project in North Kensington. Highlights in 2023 I’ve created a set of wiki pages that bring … Continue reading “Progress in 2023 and what’s next for 2024”