A STRATEGY to develop the city centre is a necessity for a city the size of Glasgow in order to continue to compete with our rivals.
The focus needs to be on a diverse range of sectors and not only retail, which obviously is still of great importance in terms of jobs and drawing visitors.
While much has improved in the city centre in the last 20 years there has been a noticeable narrowing of where the most activity and development is taking place with Buchanan Street being the central point.
Every city has its prestigious street, but a plan to ensure the other areas grow and thrive is a must for Glasgow, Trongate Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street cannot be left to wither and solutions must be found to improve their flagging fortunes.
The riverside is also in need of attention with Custom House Quay a neglected resource that should be used to connect the city centre to the Clydeside and along to the SECC and Glasgow Cross in opposite directions.
Glasgow has much to be optimistic about with the Commonwealth Games and a growing conference trade not only bringing people in but helping promote the city abroad to potential new markets.
Innovative thinking and bold decisions will be required to keep the city ahead of its rivals.