Creativity, clarity and collaboration

By Martin Reeves, Chief Executive, Coventry City Council  

Martin Reeves recently joined us and other experts from business and academia to explore how businesses and cities could work together to map a green recovery from the pandemic.

I’m an unapologetic lover of cities. They are amazing cultural epicentres that bring people of all different backgrounds together through shared experiences in theatres, workplaces, restaurants and even public transport, but Covid-19 has placed many of the issues facing them right in the spotlight.

Like many cities across the UK, Coventry has experienced some fundamental changes in the last year, not many of which were positive. But as a result, we have been given a golden opportunity to pause and reimagine our future. With the climate crisis only accelerating, this could be our chance to ensure the future cities of the UK are sustainable and work towards a carbon neutral environment.

Small and large businesses alike have transitioned rapidly; for example from being based in traditional office spaces within the city centre to working from home full time. Whilst that’s the most obvious change, we’ve adapted in other ways too. Take transport, where we’ve seen an increase in the number of cyclists as people seek different modes of transport that allow them to maintain social distancing.  

This is not to say that the pandemic is the sole reason behind these changes. The moves towards remote working, digitalisation, and green transport pre-dates the virus, but Covid-19 has acted as a catalyst and accelerated these shifts. 

Whilst no-one would have ever wished for this pandemic and the devastating impact on our lives, if we keep creativity, clarity, and collaboration at the heart of our thinking, we can use our recovery as a springboard to establish our cities as beacons for a climate positive world. 

Creativity

As our cities adapt and change, I believe we will see an increasing number of hybrid buildings: places where people can come together to work, socialise, and live.

The successful cities of the future will be an amazing mix of digital connectivity and culture – vibrant urban hubs where people are not only making the most of the buildings but also the outdoor spaces between them.

And when it comes to these spaces, there is work to be done to ensure our urban centres are green and enjoyable to be in. Issues like air pollution are only getting worse with the climate crisis, and it’s important to act now to ensure that our cities are safe to be in.

Coventry was one of the first cities to produce a Climate Change Strategy in 2012, and we set the target to reduce our carbon emissions by 27.5% by 2020 – a goal we achieved six years early in 2014. Our cities of the future will have to be greener as we tackle the climate crisis and work towards the wider net zero targets.

With better air quality, proper waste management and integrated energy systems our cities can be protected for and enjoyed by many future generations. 

Clarity

One of the ways to achieve a truly sustainable city is often technology, and in many cases the technology needed to unlock a sustainable future is already available – we just need to be able to implement it, which costs money.

I believe the investment model into cities is broken. It is based on a very narrow set of economic parameters without a real understanding of how you invest for public financing that allows you to retain value. As the financial pressures on councils grow day-by-day there has never been a more urgent need for the Government to provide councils with clarity on funds available and how best to access them.

Beyond the finances, in order to truly become sustainable, it is important that local authorities set businesses clear environmental targets. With tangible goals in place it will be easier to keep businesses accountable in the role they have to play in keeping our future cities green.

Collaboration

And cities don’t need to just set and implement these green targets but work with businesses to achieve them too.

Fundamentally, local authorities and businesses have a shared interest when it comes to reimagining cities of the future: they’re both reliant on the success of the city. What’s more, between them they have the potential to bring together an invaluable blend of community insight and understanding, technological expertise and commercial capability. That’s why in Coventry we have recently set-up an Anchor Alliance, with those large organisations which are rooted and truly invested in our City, to work collaboratively for a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future.

If cities are to navigate the pathway to net zero it will require council and business leaders to work together, closely, through long-term innovative partnerships that help to ensure our cities are the liveable, sustainable and enjoyable places to live and work.  

I am pleased to be working with E.ON to ensure that Coventry’s future is a green one and am excited to see where our collaboration will take us. 

The new normal

The term ‘build back better’ has been used casually by many in recent months, but I do genuinely believe that the pandemic has provided us with an opportune moment to reflect and reconsider our next steps.

While we do not know how long we will be dealing with Covid-19, it is within our power to create an environment that allows businesses and cities to thrive in a sustainable way. The opportunities are there but they need to be re-imagined with vision and leadership at the heart.

Written by Martin Reeves

Professor Martin Reeves has been Chief Executive of Coventry City Council since April 2009.  He was also the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority from March 2016 to September 2017 and spent much of his early career as a lecturer and researcher and has a PhD in applied economics. He is on the Board for the Centre for Cities.