As we ponder those new year resolutions which may or may not still be in place two weeks in to 2025, there is no better time than January to assess the challenges and the opportunities faced by Belfast as we all strive to improve and make more inclusive the city which drives the region, and which 350,000 of us call home and where thousands more come to for work, study, leisure and to avail of public services.
Broadly speaking, there is agreement among stakeholders and policy makers that we need more people to live within the city boundary and that specific policy interventions are required in order to maximise the economic and cultural potential of Belfast. Those range from high level public infrastructure projects such as the newly opened transport hub and the state of the art campus at Ulster University.
There are other more dynamic and easier delivered policy shifts which can be made which can deliver short as well as long term benefits. The private sector also has an important part to play in developing the city in a shared and prosperous way and there are some very positive examples where this has already happened.
All of these issues and more will be on the agenda at the first major policy symposium of the year in Ulster University on Thursday January 23.
The Belfast Summit is organised by my colleagues at MW Advocate and we are partnered by the three Belfast BIDS, Linen Quarter, Cathedral Quarter and Belfast ONE as well Ulster University and the Belfast Harbour as we grapple with the challenge of helping Belfast to maximise it’s undoubted potential.
Along with a range of informed and expert local speakers from all sectors, we are joined by visitors from Boston and New York, from Manchester and from Paris.
We have lessons to learn from New York on its night-time economy; from Paris on how new urban thinking has quickly and radically re shaped public space; from Manchester on how they got housing right and helped rejuvenate under used part of the city. We can consider how private sector investment decisions are made, and how to ensure that Northern Ireland is best placed to attract that investment, and we can look at the increasing role of arts and culture in driving a shared and prosperous society.
New York re shaped its night-time economy from 2010 onwards when specific policies around pubic travel, licensing extensions aligned with increased police presence and assurance on safe streets delivered for tourists, residents and workers.
Like some other bigger European cities authorities introduced the concept of a ‘night mayor’ to coordinate emerging policy, cultural and technological changes and these shifts have made New York one of the most dynamic, round-the-clock cities in the world.
Today, the city’s night-life ecosystem serves not only as a major economic driver but also as a key cultural identity for both locals and tourists alike.
Shouldn’t we be aiming for our own version of that kind of behavioural shift?
Similarly there are retail challenges which came to the fore towards the end of last year when the unfortunate convergence of planned roadworks, the impact of road closures and the opening of the new Hub presented a real problem for our retail and hospitality sector. What lessons can be learned from those immediate past challenges and what does the ideal mix of retail offer look like in 2025 and beyond?
Now we are around too long to expect that in one day we can solve the problems facing Belfast or that we will between us come up with one agreed plan on how to maximise our full potential.
But we are optimistic and positive enough to believe that talking, sharing ideas, sharing experience is beneficial to the city and especially to those who have policy responsibility.
In 12 months’ time your personal new year resolution may still be in place, along with all the associated benefits and of so, you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. What may be more likely, in my case if not yours, is that those resolutions may have fallen by the wayside.
For this shared city of ours though, let’s all agree that 2025 should be a year where we aim high, and deliver. Come and join the conversation (www.mwadvocate.com/belfast-summit)
- Brendan Mulgrew is managing partner at MW Advocate. Follow him on X at @brendanbelfast.
