Today at lunchtime I attended a meeting in the Castle of the Council focus group on public transport, way-finding and access for the first time since my retirement. The group is now looking forward to the next ten years worth of developments in and around the city, and its purpose is to put out some ideas about how new major projects are being approached, to take soundings and seek insights and ideas that might be there amongst people of wide ranging backgrounds and expertise. It's a sign of recognition that remote preparation of this kind can be both a stimulus and a corrective to the ideas of those who work in the professional think-tanks with and beyond the domain of the Council - a bold intiative to my mind, well worth the investment, even if there's not much to show for it. By its very nature most of the deliberations are not intended for publication at such an early stage of gestation, well before adoption.
It was great that Richard Hall came to this meeting for the first time, as Churchwarden representing St John's while there is no Vicar. I continue to get invited to this meeting due to my connections to the Street Carers and work with the homeless, with Other Faith communities and Community Safety, through Cardiff Business Safe's crime prevention activity. I've learned over the years that the best public design work - buildings, open spaces, furnishings etc - results in a environment where people feel safer. This makes it possible for all kinds of people to co-exist without threat or conflict. Thus I'm pleased to have an opportunity to take part in these conversations.
Afterwards, I met Ashley and we went over to City Hall to visit Room 136, and meet Glen, co-occupant of the space for our temporary office accommodation over the next month, and then we returned to Southgate House to advance the cause of chasing subscribers who haven't paid. It's a perpetual problem in any business, and more so in a recession. It's necessary effort. Solvency is essential when you're offering a guaranteed service of this kind.
No comments:
Post a Comment