Ipswich Central chair Terry Baxter introduces Paul Sweeny, director of policy and research at The Centre for Cities, who will be speaking at the Reviving Ipswich Town Centre conference.

Over a number of years, Ipswich town centre has been developing around five districts, each exhibiting distinctive characteristics and having its own priorities. Our ambition is to make each of these districts more accessible, and to deliver the UK’s first “Connected Town Centre”.

For readers who are not yet familiar with the ‘Ipswich Vision’, the plan is to introduce uses and amenities that will encourage people to live and stay locally. These include plans for more schools and educational facilities, a music venue, an outdoor gym, and more green areas including cycling and walking routes and accessible shops for neighbouring districts; building on a realisation that new forms of hybrid working in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to a greater dependency upon local amenities.

Therefore, I am delighted to announce that Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at the Centre For Cities, will be joining our speaker lineup at our virtual Reviving Ipswich Town Centre conference, which is due to take place on April 13.

The Centre for Cities is an organisation that helps large cities and towns like Ipswich realise their economic potential through rigorous, data-driven research and policy ideas. Paul oversees the research programme and strategy of the centre. He has published on a wide range of subjects relating to urban economies, including the development of UK cities over time, the role that town and city centres play in the national economy and the trading relationships UK cities have with the rest of the world.

Paul is a regular regional and national media commentator, including print, radio and TV, and speaks at conferences across the UK on subjects relating to the performance of city economies. I look forward to welcoming Paul’s insights at our Reviving Ipswich Town Centre conference, where Paul and a panel of experts will be discussing the much-needed regeneration of towns and city centres.

The Reviving Ipswich Town conference will take place on April 13 from 10.30am-12pm. The event is FREE to attend and guests will get an insight into the future of Britain’s high streets.

Sign up to attend by visiting: www.ipswichcentral.com