Scotland’s Six Cities
Scotland’s Six Cities are the economic, cultural, social and intellectual powerhouses of our nation.
By combining their strengths and celebrating their diversity, Scotland’s Six Cities can enhance their role in stimulating, sustaining and delivering Scotland’s future economic growth. Working together, they share a vision of a successful Scotland as a place to work, live, innovate, study and visit.
International evidence is growing on the important role cities play in creating sustainable economic growth.
Globally, governments and investors see cities as key drivers of both regional and national economies, whilst also offering solutions to the social and environmental challenges of the 21st century.
To deliver, our cities require empowerment and strategic support from Tgovernment to ensure they maximise their assets, infrastructure, skills and opportunities, for all of Scotland’s people. Investment in cities delivers the greatest wealth and opportunities for the nation. Scotland’s Six Cities recognise the values for which the nation is renowned and will utilise increased economic growth for mutual benefit across the entire country.
Importantly, they need to develop and extend economic partnership and collaboration with each other for mutual benefit, while recognising and celebrating their distinctiveness and diversity.
In addition, Scotland’s Six Cities seek a partnership with central government, which empowers and supports cities in their delivery of long-term and sustainable growth for Scotland.
Central to this relationship are the following shared priorities and values:
1. Our Cities need infrastructure that delivers economic impact
Scotland’s cities require investment in infrastructure to provide the environment in which investment and job creation can flourish, with improved connections between them and to external markets.
Scotland’s cities need:
2. Our Cities need innovative finance and investment models
Our cities need transparent and enabling frameworks which empower them to develop funding solutions to support continuing regeneration and to attract investment.
Scotland’s Cities need:
3. Our Cities are creative centres of productivity, knowledge and innovation
Scotland’s cities sit at the heart of our nation’s knowledge economy. Their ability to nurture, attract and retain talent must be supported.
Our cities are home to many high-growth and internationally-competitive economic sectors and to world-leading academic institutions.
Culturally, Scotland's cities are the touchstone for the nation, possessing and displaying our rich heritage and international appeal.
To deliver on our ambitions for growth it is important to Scotland’s economy that our higher education institutions remain world-class and competitive.
Scotland’s cities need:
4. Our Cities are key to a sustainable Scotland
It is important that Scotland’s cities are healthy, attractive and economically successful places to live and visit. They have a key role to play in realising Scotland’s ambitions of being a world-leading sustainable economy. Our natural environment supports a large part of our economy and Scotland must aim to become a world leader in sustainable cities, combining economic and social success and reducing impact on the planet. This will be vital to capture the maximum economic benefit from the sustainable development of Scotland’s natural resources, especially energy.
To be world-class cities and deliver on Scotland’s carbon reduction targets, Scotland’s cities must be supported in:
5. Our Cities deliver inclusive partnerships with people, regions and government
Our cities are Scotland’s economic hubs, play a key role in connecting surrounding communities and are democratically accountable for the creation and provision of jobs, services, opportunities and amenities. Cities can and do enable large numbers of people to realise their ambitions and engage positively in the economy and their communities.
To deliver, Scotland’s cities need:
6. Our Cities are the international gateways to Scotland
Our cities are distinct and diverse and their economic, academic, scenic and cultural strengths deliver as international gateways to Scotland. Our cities perform a symbolic role for the nation, characterising Scotland's aspirations, values and confidence. Our cities and their regions have global strengths which should be globally marketed. Cities have a crucial role to play in realising Scotland’s ambitions to grow and internationalise our business base.
To achieve this, Scotland’s cities need: