Merseyside Civic Society launch State of the City III report.
Yesterday Merseyside Civic Society launched their State of the City III report: ‘Empty Spaces Healthy Places’. The launch event took place at Liverpool’s brand new Exhibition Centre, which can be found on the city’s waterfront.
Professor Erik Bichard from the University of Salford delivered the keynote speech at the event and presented issues surrounding his research into ‘Sustainable Return on Investment’ (SuROI), an approach to urban assets and programmes which places a value on social and environmental change, not just economic.
Professor Bichard's presentation framed the three main actions of Merseyside Civic Society’s report which are to support a better understanding of the sustainable value of city assets; foster a culture of listening and embrace and encourage neighbourhood plans.
The report's conclusions were drawn up following events held at The Bluecoat Chambers on this year's Civic Day in June.
Civic Day is a national celebration of civic pride. It is a day when communities across the country participate in different activities to show that they care about where they live.
Merseyside Civic Society celebrated Civic Day this year by gathering a diverse line of speakers, who shared community success stories to encourage and improve communication between residents and the city. This also helped to create awareness of the vital importance of green spaces.
Deputy Chair of Merseyside Civic Society, Jean Grant said:
'Merseyside Civic Society is grateful to everyone who has been involved helping to spread the word about the three main actions arising from State of the City. Professor Bichard’s practical way of evaluating the non commercial aspects of the city are key to residents discussing with each other and with those in the city council and government why certain aspects such as open spaces, health and education are so important to our cities’ economies. We look forward to working with our partners as we take forward the conclusions we have reached through our activities. ‘