The quality of life is not the icing on the cake, it is an essential economic ingredient. Any vision for the future has to capture what it feels like to live and work in and around Nottingham. Experience Nottinghamshire is attempting to define just what is so special about our area, considering the city in the context of its surroundings. A new Nottingham brand will be used to attract more visitors, both holidaying and on business.
For business, the quality of life offered by a location is crucial. Businesses based here need to attract and keep their staff if they are to grow. New businesses moving into the area will carefully consider amenities and ambience, as well as practical elements like premises, transport and the availability of skilled staff.
Nottingham has heritage, distinctive buildings, world famous sports, top shops, clubs and bars, prestige restaurants, strong theatre, interesting arts.
The physical city is slowly being reshaped, too. Planners and architects are recasting our public spaces to favour social interaction. The renovated Market Square will become a proper civic space that all citizens can share. This will be linked to other squares throughout the city.
New walking routes, pedestrian streets and traffic restrictions will all give Nottingham a more European atmosphere. The growing popularity of city flats and apartments has helped to give new life to the city centre, too.
Research has shown that there is another sense, too, in which the city must be attractive. Creative people can promote growth in many industries - and they require a special atmosphere. Nottingham has a good supply of the urban electricity that charges new connections - between the social and the commercial, the arts and the sciences, the cerebral and the technical. These will fuel our future.
For the people who live here, a good quality of life fosters confidence, optimism and a sense of belonging - all elements that translate into a strong civic identity, an essential part of any future success.
However this is not extended to all our citizens. In common with other Core Cities, we have entire communities that are excluded from the good life enjoyed by others, particularly in the outer estates and in some inner city areas. At root economic - the subject of the first section - this is felt in the social and physical spheres, too.
Local councils are improving neighbourhood services, introducing innovative housing management and helping to regenerate disadvantaged areas. Anti-social behaviour, an increasing by-product of exclusion, is the subject of many Local Partnership schemes. Widening inequality does not provide a sound foundation for a good quality of life, even for the most fortunate. Thus there are many ways in which Nottingham is going back to basics. For a Core City we do not have all the underpinnings of a civilised urban environment in place. The success of our clubs and bars has raised new challenges which threaten the security and inclusiveness of the city centre, and a wider age range will be encouraged to enjoy its evening attractions. Working closely with the police and other agencies, the City Council is tackling both crime and grime on city streets. The Respect for Nottingham campaign has already had an effect.