Tale of Two Cities: Belfast and Bristol. Past, Present and Smart Future

Richard Needham was Britain's longest serving minister in Northern Ireland. As minister for the economy he was the driving force behind many of the regeneration schemes including Laganside and Foyleside. Richard has never lost his passion for Ulster and is a frequent visitor.

Late last year he delivered a lecture at the University of the West of England in Bristol in which he drew close parallels between the old port city and Belfast. He says post-Brexit Belfast needs resilience and should join Bristol at the heart of the Smart City revolution and to work with cities around the globe to make Belfast in the 21st century the world class city it was in the 19th.

Bristol’s journey to becoming a smart city is already under way. The city’s municipal functions are becoming enhanced, businesses are able to make use of the fast networking and communications infrastructure coming on stream and citizens and visitors are discovering an urban environment in which everything from bin collection to cultural events are accessible in a meaningful and helpful way.  It’s time Belfast entered the fray, says Needham.