High Streets are facing many challenges and several are struggling to find their place in the 21st century. There are opportunities for High Streets to remain the hub of a vibrant urban community, supporting visitors, commuters, residents and employees. How can the city centre remain a great place to visit as well as meet the needs of communities?

One solution could be to encourage and include greater residents’ and workers’ engagement with the spaces in which they live, work, shop and use their leisure time. A place which inspires a greater sense of ownership in a city – ‘your’ city - may succeed in engaging inhabitants to stay, live and engage with the city and thus greatly enhance the community. Tonight’s event will focus on two aspects of helping city centres to remain relevant. Ian Sandison, CEO of Cambridge BID will lead this evening’s event and set the scene.

Public art can be important to help navigate a city and interact with the space. It can help visitors, employees and inhabitants to get a fuller experience and encourage them to return. In Cambridge, the ‘Cows about Cambridge project’, one of the largest mass-participation projects to be held in the city, is being run by creative producer Wild in Art with Cambridge BID from Spring 2020. We’ll hear from them about how public art can revitalise a space, encourage social interaction and employee engagement. Find out how you, as a business, can get involved.

Behind the scenes, collection of ‘urban data’ showing how people navigate and interact with their city is valuable to enable city stakeholders to make better decisions on matters such as traffic flow improvements, environmental initiatives and the future planning of the city for the ‘benefit of all citizens’. As Cambridge is well on the way to becoming a ‘Smart City’ our final speakers, from Telensa and Cambridge City Council will talk about their part in this project.

WIN! Cambridge BID customer survey: Cambridge BID is conducting a 15min survey to gather information to enable them to continue to support our city and high street. The survey link is: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CambBID2019. One lucky person who completes the survey will a £500 Love Cambridge Gift Card. The survey will close at 10am on Monday 13th May.

Agenda

6.00pm Registration and networking

6:30pm:

• An overview of High Street challenges, solutions (incl greater resident / worker engagement), greater sense of ownership of your city, yourplace (evidence?).
  Ian Sandison, CEO Cambridge BID
• Animating Cities through Public Art - how the Cows about Cambridge Art Trail will encourage residents and visitors to engage with their high streets and benefit business for 10 weeks in the spring of 2020.
  Julie Gaskell, Head of Partnerships, Wild in Art
• Cambridge as a Smart City: How it can help you: Jon Lewis, VP Urban Data, Telensa
• Cambridge as a Smart City: Dan Clarke, Smart City Programme Manager, Cambridgeshire County Council

8:00pm Further networking and a chance to follow up with the speakers over nibbles and a glass of wine

8:30pm Event closes