Harvard Professor, Niall Kirkwood, has launched a debate about future development in Belfast during an event at Belfast City Hall. The international expert in urban design and architecture was the main speaker at the first in a series of development debates, organised by Belfast City Council, which will run until spring 2011.
He was welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Pat Convery, and the Chair of the Development Committee, Councillor Conor Maskey, who hosted the event at City Hall.
Councillor Maskey said: “As civic leaders the council believes that its our responsibility to encourage such discussion. The city faces many serious economic and social challenges in the years ahead. Its important that we have opportunities to share knowledge and build agreement on action across the city and its neighbourhoods.”
Sharing his experience of city planning from around the world, including New York and Seoul, Professor Kirkwood highlighted a number of global trends which could be relevant to future development in Belfast.
These include: Replacing master plans with long and short term strategies for cities; Single iconic buildings not regenerating a city on their own; Bringing down interdisciplinary boundaries in public realm design; and learning that Creative and innovative bureaucracy is as important as creative, innovative planners and businesses.
Around 100 representatives from the private, community, statutory and academic sectors attended the first debate. More information about the debates can be found at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stateofthecity.
