As the New Year progresses apace, many will be closely monitoring how well they are sticking to their personal resolutions to better themselves in the months ahead.
However, 2025 offers something more, a collective opportunity to resolve to make Belfast a better city for everyone.
It’s a time to reflect not just on our past, but on the future we want to build.
For Belfast, this is the time to be more ambitious, more demanding, and more impatient with the status quo.
Ours is a city with immense potential. Yet, for too long, we’ve been content with incremental progress. This year, it’s time to raise our aspirations and align our ambition with the vision of a future-ready city.
This means creating a city that is cleaner, safer, and more welcoming - a place where businesses thrive, citizens feel pride, and to which even more visitors are drawn.
Belfast has the opportunity to position itself as a genuine competitor on the global stage, a city capable of attracting capital and opportunities that will benefit those who live and work in the city, and we must collaborate to transform opportunity into action.
Fragmented responsibilities across multiple entities have historically presented challenges to Belfast’s progress. However, division amongst our city’s leadership cannot be an excuse for inaction.
City leaders must work collaboratively and decisively to overcome barriers to progress.
Belfast Chamber will continue to hold stakeholders accountable, ensuring that they deliver the changes we so urgently need. It’s important that we move from dialogue to delivery.
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Improved public spaces, better connectivity, and robust public transport networks should not be considered luxuries, but rather seen as essential pillars of a successful urban environment, and it is vitally important that we advocate for ongoing development.
Patience is often said to be a virtue, however, in Belfast’s case, it appears to have become a barrier.
For too long we appear to have become content with the slow pace of change, when we should instead be adopting a mindset that prioritises solutions over excuses.
The steps taken by the Department for Infrastructure to address Belfast’s chronic traffic congestion highlight what can be accomplished with a collaborative and proactive approach, with Belfast Chamber contributing to and supporting this progress.
Late last year, the Chamber spearheaded efforts to advocate for practical solutions to the gridlock affecting businesses and residents alike.
Following productive discussions with Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd and his department, a commitment was secured to introduce measures aimed at alleviating the congestion before Christmas and into the New Year.
We also positively influenced the decision to add additional policing patrols in the city centre through our constructive relationship with the PSNI.
Making city-centre housing viable, particularly housing of all tenures, will also prove integral to Belfast’s development. It’s not just about creating homes, it’s about revitalising our city centre, making it a place where people want to live, work, and spend their time.
A vibrant city centre is the heartbeat of any successful urban area, and it’s time for Belfast to lead by example.
Unfortunately, another area where progress has been stubbornly slow is sustainability.
As we face the realities of climate change, the urgency to act has never been greater. Belfast must embrace a green agenda that prioritises sustainability as a core tenet of its development.
A green city is an investible city, one that attracts businesses, talent, and visitors alike.
By investing in green energy, creating a walkable, attractive urban environment, we can enhance quality of life while building a resilient economy. Sustainability is not a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a necessity for our future.
None of this can be achieved in isolation. Strong partnerships within the business community will prove essential to achieving our collective goals.
Trust and effective working relationships must underpin every decision and initiative.
As always, Belfast Chamber is committed to fostering these partnerships, ensuring that businesses are at the table and actively contributing to the city’s future.
As the capital city and the second-largest on the island, Belfast should be at the forefront, setting the standard for what a modern, thriving urban centre looks like.
Together, we can unlock opportunities, address challenges, and create a Belfast that works for everyone.
This year, let’s commit to raising the bar. Let’s be bold in our aspirations and relentless in our pursuit of progress. This year is one of delivery.
With ambition, determination, and collaboration, we can create a city that not only meets, but exceeds, expectations.
Clare Guinness is chief executive of Belfast Chamber of Commerce