Got big ideas to improve Preston? The City-zen Roadshow wants to hear them

People are being invited to share their ideas of how they’d like to change or improve Preston to make it a more sustainable and better city to live and work in.

The City-zen Roadshow is coming to Preston for five days from 12 to 16 November and is open to anyone who is interested in making changes to create a healthier, happier and more energy efficient Preston.

The €22million European Union (EU) funded project is set to visit 10 cities in 10 countries by 2019. It aims to bring internationally celebrated experts in architecture, technology and environmental sustainability together with local residents to explore new ideas.

The project will initially focus on Broadgate and expand from there. Ideas may be around making better use of buildings, streets and recreational areas, improving transport links and connecting neighbourhoods more easily. In turn, it is hoped that the plans will include ways of refining energy use and reducing Preston’s carbon footprint.

The project is led by University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Professor of architecture Craig Martin. The team has already helped the people of Belfast, Izmir, Dubrovnik, Menorca, Sevilla and Roeselare, in Belgium, to re-imagine their cities.

Professor Martin said: “We come in with a blank page, where no idea is a bad idea and take it from there. We want to help translate and visualise a community’s ideas into real plans that can be taken forward. It’s about saying what you would change to improve lifestyles and finding innovative and exciting ways to do it. 

“As part of the plans, we’ll look at where the demand for energy in Preston comes from and what potential sources of energy are available to meet that demand. The ideal would be to make Preston a city that runs on clean energy.”

Students from UCLan and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in The Netherlands will facilitate sessions throughout the week using games and fun-shops to gather ideas. The students have already completed an initial analysis of Preston to prompt discussion and final plans produced at the end of the week will be left with the city to progress if it wishes.

The Roadshow will take place in Preston City Council’s Chambers Room on Monday 12 and Friday 16 November, it will be at Gujarat Hindu Society on 13 and 14 and in UCLan’s Harrington Social Space on 15 November.

Professor Martin added: “People can come for an hour, a day or even the full week, whatever they can spare. We appreciate your busy schedules and we promise not to give you any homework. But what we do ask is that you bring your experiences, passion, openness and energy.”