So good to be back living in our great city
I’m proud to have been born and brought up in our great city and to have come back to the place that was home 20 years ago after working elsewhere in Scotland.
This is a hugely exciting time for our city. Recently, it’s been confirmed Perth and our partners in Dundee, Angus and north Fife will benefit from a multi-million-pound Tay Cities Deal to sustainably grow our regional economy.
It’s critical Perth has a cohesive message to make sure we not only maximise the benefits of these opportunities regionally, but that we tell our story nationally and internationally.
Over the last 12 months, the private-sector led Perth City Development Board, supported by Perth and Kinross Council, has worked with stakeholders across our region to develop the new place story for Perth.
That story sums up the scope of Perth’s fantastic offer and captures the essence of our area. It encapsulates our ambition to become one of Europe’s great small cities: a cultural centre, a major tourist destination, a hub for investment, bringing to all of that an unrivalled quality of life.
It describes what we have and the way we are now, but it also signposts what we want and need to be in the future. And it shows what can be achieved when we all work together with one goal.
Steven Stewart is a director at Perthshire Chamber of Commerce
The restoration of Perth’s rightful city status in 2012 was a defining moment and led to the development of the Perth City Plan in 2016. Backed by £400 million of public investment, the aim was to create a new chapter in our city’s story through investment in culture, public realm and infrastructure.
Look around our city and you can see Perth is changing for the better and undergoing a creative, cultural and community regeneration.
My grandfather’s former tenement home in Muirton, for example, has disappeared and the site is now part of a multimillion-pound development of new high-quality homes.
Perth is one of the fastest growing cities in Scotland and inspired by the confidence in our city, other recent major investors in the area include Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover and Bellway Homes.
We know we have significant potential to support other major employers through our broad skills mix, high quality education opportunities, and central location. Importantly, a successful Perth can also deliver benefits right across the whole of our region, including in our rural communities.
This is absolutely the right time to shout about our city and tell our story to the world.
So what is our new story? We’ve identified three key themes that will help all of our stakeholders tell our incredible story.
1. Cultivating an independent culture
Perth has character and independent culture of its own. It’s summed up by our quality, specialist independents. We have big brands on the high street, but we’re not defined by them. We have a distinctive way of life and a record number of SMEs producing new products, services and ideas.
2. Our local and international connections
The City of Perth is perfectly positioned. It’s hub in Scotland’s strategic transport network linking Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. Perth is also already one of the UK’s leading cities for digital connectivity. 3. A living oasis Perth is a place where life feels good. Stunning scenery, fresh air pursuits, culture and heritage, all within easy access of Scotland’s major cities. This is one of the safest places to bring up children and also a wonderful place to enjoy your happy and healthy golden years.
When you wrap up all those features and themes together you appreciate Perth really is a perfect place and space. A staggeringly beautiful city. A city with an independent spirit. Strong local and international connections. A city that offers a high quality visitor experience and a high quality of life. A sustainable city with a growing and healthy economy to match our healthy environment. An enterprising city of Perth’s new pioneers for the digital age.
So what’s next? Even the greatest story is worthless without people to tell it.
People, businesses and our communities are key to our future success. We want passionate, dynamic and enthusiastic individuals who know our region and who believe in it to sign up as ambassadors.
You can find out more on how to sign up on our