The man tasked with delivering an ambitious 25-year regeneration programme has revealed Aberdeen should look to the Big Apple for inspiration.
In his first sit-down interview since taking up the post as the new city centre masterplan director, Mark Cole said he has looked to cities as diverse as the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, “Northern powerhouse” Manchester and even the city that never sleeps – New York.
Mr Cole has had a long career as a “regeneration tsar” working in various English councils from Manchester to Merseyside, as well as across other public, private and third sector bodies over 30 years.
In January, he was appointed by council chiefs to lead the multi-million pound masterplan of 49 projects to breathe new life into the Granite City.
Looking to his past, he said Aberdeen could learn lessons from the journey of Manchester which has overcome its post-industrial decline to become “an exciting, dynamic, European city”.
Other inspirational cities he included were the Icelandic capital of Rejkavic, which he said was “very cool and dynamic”, and New York’s use of public parks to enhance the city.
It is understood the vast majority of the funding for the projects will come from private sector investment.
But £33million was allocated for capital projects in this year’s budget, meaning work can begin.
Yesterday the £103,000 civil servant said he had never visited the Granite City until being offered the job.
He praised the “quality of the built environment”, the “fantastic vistas”, and “cosmopolitan” outlook of the citizens, adding there had been “real enthusiasm” from the public for the transformative work.
But he also said the city must look to its post-oil future and become a global city able to compete with the likes of Dubai, Copenhagen and Houston.
He said: “I really think it is a fantastic city.
“We live in a global world and it’s important we can keep competing with cities not just around the UK but the world.
“That’s why creating a vibrant, dynamic city centre is so important.
“The masterplan implementation journey has already begun… we must prioritise the elements of the masterplan to get us quickly started on the journey over the next 25 years.”
Mr Cole added that city centre living was increasingly becoming the norm.
He added: “I think we went through a period where people have been leaving city centres but we are starting to see a change now and the trend is reversing.
“In the past people left the centres to go out to the suburbs but now people are wanting to live in the city with all the energy and excitement that city centres can provide.”
