Lichfield is to host an international event highlighting placemaking across the UK and abroad.
The City Nation Place conference will be held at Lichfield Cathedral on 19th September.
The event will bring together leaders to focus on how to improve the attractiveness and reputation of places through building civic pride and attracting visitors and investment.
The city was chosen after a successful bid by We Are Staffordshire, Lichfield Cathedral and Lichfield District Council.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and We Are Staffordshire board member Cllr Philip White said:
“It’s excellent news that we’ve been chosen as a host for the UK City Nation Place event, which our team has worked hard to attract and which will be another accolade for our county and the city of Lichfield.
“We’re proud that the iconic Lichfield Cathedral will welcome delegates from the UK and internationally.
“As members of City Nation Place, We Are Staffordshire is at the heart of an organisation which can promote the county on a global stage.
“City Nation Place provides a unique link and platform that stretches across oceans and time zones, allowing us to come together as peers to tackle the big issues of the day – and work towards the solutions of tomorrow – so we can strive to be the best custodians and marketers of our wonderful places.”
Cllr Philip White, Staffordshire County Council
We Are Staffordshire recently became a City Nation Place Champion – a network of decision makers from around the world alongside founding partners New Zealand, Tasmania, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the Western Cape in South Africa.
Clare Dewhirst, director of City Nation Place, said:
“As we progress the conversation on the potential power of place branding to drive place economies, we’re delighted to be bringing the 2024 UK conference to Lichfield.
“We Are Staffordshire has approached the development of its place brand strategy with innovation and creativity and Lichfield is a city with heritage and ambition, so we know that, as hosts, they will add to the value of the agenda.”
Claire Dewhirst, City Nation Place
Lichfield District Council’s leader, Cllr Doug Pullen, added:
“We are honoured and excited that Lichfield has been chosen to host City Nation Place UK in September.
“We are proud of our district’s rich history and heritage and look forward to sharing them with delegates at this important conference.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council
Congratulations, a true accolade .
Is this a Joke
As we are all looking forward to our council tax bills arriving lol. Is this event factored in? Will we pay more or do we pay less for the privilege?
Ah, but can’t you see the reasoning here. They can all take a guided tour around Lichfield with our esteemed councillors who can show them how NOT to do it, and say ‘don’t make the same mistakes as us or this is what happens’.
Who will benefit from this? Successful places will not want to divulge their strategy. In reality the visitor trade is competitive.
More people come to Lichfield for the food festivals than for its heritage and history. For a ‘City’ that doesn’t even have a museum it is indicative of how much they care.
Oh the irony…will they host the conference opposite Lichfield City train station…”participatory process for sharing public space that harnesses the ideas and assets of the people that use it”hmmm
Lichfield is fast becoming one big traffic jam due to over development…presume we were chosen as case study of how NOT to do it…
A chance for our councillors to show off Lichfields carefully preserved city wide pot holes. Even when the roads are repaired they rarely last longer than a couple of months.
Orla – one has to agree. The traffic congestion in Lichfield over the last 12-24 months has increased several fold. I live about a mile from the centre and spend half my life sat in traffic. I no longer go into Lichfield – I drive to Ventura park where the disability parking is far better, and the roads not as busy.