The Liverpool story is directly linked to the ebb and flow of waterfront activity and that is as true today as yesteryear. Liverpool owes its very existence to its geography and its access to the sea. Eight hundred years ago it was a fishing community, by the end of the 19th century it had been transformed into the greatest port on earth. Liverpool’s international prestige was reflected in the majesty of the Three Graces at Pier Head, since 2004 a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Liverpool was an entrepreneurial and pioneering city as well as the gateway to the West, through which much of the world’s trade passed. We led the world in medicine, health, social enterprise, technology and industrialisation.

As the influence of the sea and seafarers waned so did Liverpool’s fortunes until the turn of the 21st century when through heritage and cultural-led regeneration Liverpool again moved physically and psychologically closer to water’s edge.

The Liverpool waterfront is now a symbol of the city’s renaissance, a monument to Liverpool’s glittering past and a vision of the city’s future, an international outward-looking city with a name that resonates across the globe.

Since 2000, more than £4bn has been invested in Liverpool’s infrastructure. While still a major port city, Liverpool has evolved through difficult times to see great growth in professional services, wealth management, knowledge, creative and digital, retail and hospitality.

In the process the city has won a number of plaudits for our approach to sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The Liverpool ONE shopping centre, which links the waterfront to the city centre, won an Urban Land Institute excellence award for its design, sustainable economic development.

The Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre on the waterfront is regarded as the greenest in Europe, while the new extension of the Leeds Liverpool canal at the Pier Head has re-energised the once thriving canal and won countless awards.

Several former docks have been renovated for modern purposes, including Princes Dock which is home to prestigious offices, premium residential blocks and a hotel all within its maritime context. It also hosts a £19m cruise liner terminal which welcomes visitors from around the world.

Liverpool’s excellence in heritage-led regeneration secured our place as the only UK city to exhibit at the six-month World Expo 2010 in Shanghai where we picked up numerous awards, including Model City Pavilion.

None of this would have been possible without Liverpool becoming European Capital of Culture in 2008, subsequently hailed by Jose Manuel Barrosa, President of the European Commission as the most successful ever for its diverse mix of high-profile and community-inspired over 12 months.

The city’s imperative now is to keep this momentum moving, by ensuring the strength and equitable distribution of economic opportunity across the city’s communities, to keep and attract a healthy motivated population and to secure the right social and environmental conditions in which future generations can flourish.

Liverpool is threatened by rising sea levels and has incorporated pragmatic climate adaptation and mitigation into development plans. The public and private sectors, which are working ever more closely on many projects across the city, are collaborating to utilise sustainable technologies, harnessing wind, tidal and solar energy to generate power for communities and businesses. A Low Carbon Economy Action Plan* highlights how renewable energy can boost the city region’s economy with the creation of an estimated 12,000 new jobs by 2015. Liverpool has a Green Infrastructure strategy which guides the planning of housing and regeneration growth areas and ensures the city adapts to future challenges.

Liverpool, which has had nine Nobel Laureates in science, medicine and peace, still enjoys a strong academic and research base and our universities are leading the way in the development of new technologies, new medicines and pioneering social change.

We present to UN Habitat, nine diverse case studies each with all developed around sustainability:

1. Liverpool Waters is being delivered by The Peel Group. This flagship scheme will be profoundly economically and environmentally sustainable and promises to reinforce Liverpool’s global identity.
2. The UN has already recognised Liverpool with a World Habitat Award for community sustainability for the Eldonian Village in North Liverpool. The Eldonian Group is now developing a pioneering community owned district energy scheme with Liverpool City Council and Cofely.
3. Liverpool has also established a Commercial District Partnership which aspires to be a carbon neutral zone, which is being developed with Arup.
4. Entrepreneurship is the instinctive response in Liverpool to harder times and the city is in the process of transforming itself further by returning to our entrepreneurial traditions. This very creativity and ingenuity married to our commitment to young people and those harder-to-reach communities, persuaded the US-based Kauffman Foundation to chose Liverpool to be the first European host of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, 2012.
5. Community action is also the driver behind the city’s public, private and civic sectors launching the Decade of Health and Wellbeing which aims to make Liverpool more equal, healthy and green for 2020, placing sustainability, partnership and community at the heart of the approach to achieve our goals as WHO Healthy City.
6. The international not-for-profit organisation Rights and Humanity, which has previously advised United Nations institutions, has located its International Centre of Excellence in Liverpool because it recognises a common feeling in the city – the development of peace and environmental sustainability through the realisation of human rights and responsibilities in everyday lives.
7. The Women’s Organisation is the leading women’s economic development agency in the UK. It is a social enterprise based in Liverpool, responding across borders to the call to action to promote gender equality as a basic human right. It has recently opened the Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) to provide an international focus on female entrepreneurship, research, business start-up, growth and leadership.
8. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was the first institution in the world dedicated to tropical disease and has led the fight against infectious, debilitating and disabling diseases ever since. It works with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and ministries for health throughout the world.
9. The Liverpool Food Alliance is a partnership of organisations pioneering a practical agenda around access to land, urban food production and alternative routes to market. The mission is to develop resilient city wide community food systems and related health initiatives.

Liverpool has always been at its strongest when looking outward and our international strategy has seen us forge robust partnerships with emerging economies in the east, demonstrated by our on-going commitment to our relationship with China; in Europe with Finland and Germany; and in the US with trade and cultural missions with Boston, Memphis, Texas and New York.

These global relationships give the city an international stage on which to influence policy, share best practice and innovate in the use of sustainable low carbon technologies, tackling social and economic deprivation.

Being one of the United Nations’ 100 cities can only reaffirm this.

1. UN100 Case Study: ‘Liverpool Waters’

Reasons‘Liverpool Waters’ is a sustainable 20-30 year vision for 150 acres of disused dockland in central Liverpool, which is currently in a derelict state and inaccessible to the public. The scale of the area is vast and much of the historic fabric is in a poor condition and has been in need of investment for a long time.

Goals

Through regeneration the scheme will bring the area back into use as a beautiful mixed use waterfront location including 9,000 new homes, 2 new large public parks complemented by office, retail and cultural facilities. It will deliver over 20,000 jobs, creating a unique sense of place, taking advantage of the site’s rich cultural heritage, and integrating it with economically and environmentally sustainable new development.

Challenges

In recognition of the dock’s historic importance, part of the site falls within a World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 2004. ‘Liverpool Waters’ has been purposefully master planned around the important heritage elements on site. The initial concept vision has been quite significantly scaled down with proposed tall buildings moved back from the waterfront and scaled down in height. Several different character areas will be created, all keeping with the origins of Liverpool’s docks but looking to the future as a vibrant, global city.

PEEL recognise that the listed buildings and structures create significant historic, social and aesthetic value.   An early part of the scheme has already won a prestigious award from English Heritage which recognises and encourages excellence and innovation in conservation. “The Bascule Bridge is the only surviving example of a lifting bridge in Liverpool, it has been sympathetically restored and is once again an important component of the local transport network within the World Heritage site.”
David Greenfield, English Heritage

Partners

PEEL has a proven record in delivering local jobs for local people as has been witnessed previously at the Trafford Centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport and currently at Media CityUK, Salford, which has just been given Breeam Community Status. Extensive consultation has taken place with Liverpool City Council about the best strategy for making sure that the deprived areas around the docks benefit, it is in PEEL’s interest to reduce the level of deprivation around its investment. An on-going community consultation process started in 2007 involving over 250 people including local councillors, the business community, residents and heritage interest groups.

PEEL are working closely with UK Government Agencies to explore where, how much and what type of affordable housing can be incorporated and funded within the scheme. There are also a host of strategies for tackling issues of skills/training, enterprise/business, retail/leisure to ensure that Liverpool Waters truly becomes a regeneration exemplar. In contrast to other United Nations 100 Cities, a major issue for Liverpool over the past few decades has been a decline in urban population, with an average of 10,000 people leaving the city each year in the 1970s. Today the population has stabilised and now stands at around 450,000. ‘Liverpool Waters’ provides an opportunity to attract and retain residents. PEEL are working closely with specialist property agents to understand what type of homes are needed to attract new residents seeking jobs, retain existing families and encourage those who have moved away from Liverpool to return.

Finance

The scheme will ultimately bring a £10 billion investment to Merseyside over the next 3 decades. Significant investment is already forthcoming from Chinese investors following our successful exhibition at World Expo, Shanghai 2010. This is being boosted by the designation of ‘Liverpool Waters’ as an Enterprise Zone by the UK Government which provides reduced business rates incentives to potential investors.

International image and reputation for the city

Liverpool has a strong international brand built on an illustrious maritime, mercantile and cultural heritage but has in the last few years made a renewed statement to the world in marketing itself as an open, modern and dynamic sustainable city. After a successful year as European Capital of Culture in 2008 and a multi award winning pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, ‘Liverpool Waters’ provides the city with an opportunity to engage with large overseas investors in long term projects as a prime international business centre and generate real wealth for its citizens.

The project team have analysed and visited internationally recognised successful regeneration projects across the world, from revitalised waterfronts in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Vancouver to successful regenerated neighbourhoods in Malmo and Amsterdam. High density developments in Istanbul and Barcelona to those protecting natural habitat in Hong Kong and Chicago.

PEEL aims to create a sustainable development exemplar on an unprecedented scale.  PEEL’s interests in renewable energy, waste management and utilities should enable the use of technologies often rendered unviable on smaller scale, more isolated projects.

The scale of the investment in transport, energy and waste and development projects is huge and it is a long term commitment to the future sustainable growth.

Fig 1: Artist impression of how ‘Liverpool Waters’ will complement the iconic three graces.

Reasons

The Eldonian Village is on the north docklands of Liverpool, with a community of around 2,500 people.

It is a modern-day community success story having been saved from demolition in 1977 to form a thriving new neighbourhood. Key facilities now extend to include a sports centre, village hall, nursery, church and school. In 2004 the Eldonians were awarded a United Nations World Habitat Award for its achievements; a first for any community in the UK.

The Eldonians have consistently been recognised as a progressive, vibrant and sustainable community and continues to push boundaries for the good of its residents. One such scheme which is currently being planned is the ambition to create a sustainable energy network for the community.

Goals

Rising energy costs, depleting gas and oil reserves and ambitious carbon reduction targets are causing all parts of the UK to consider alternative options for the long-term and sustainable supply of energy.
Recognising these challenges, the Eldonian Group is working closely with Liverpool City Council and Cofely to develop a community-owned district energy scheme. The scheme will serve the Eldonian Village and surrounding areas including the Liverpool Commercial District and North Liverpool.

Challenges

The energy system requires considerable investment but will provide customers with low carbon and zero carbon energy. The system provides heat via a network of buried hot water pipes to a range of buildings – residential, hotels, offices, industrial, community, leisure and retail.  These buildings use the heat for space heating, hot water heating and can also use it for cooling if they install an absorption chiller. The chiller works by using heat via the absorption process to produce chilled water.

Electricity can also be provided to buildings close to the energy centre, with the remainder being supplied into the national grid supporting the UK strategy to ‘de carbonise’ the grid. New buildings can purchase all their heat for heating and hot water from the district heating system, which means they do not require any boilers, flues or gas supply – saving costs of equipment and some plantroom space.

Partners

A number of high-profile district heating schemes have been successfully implemented in large UK developments, PEEL have been at the forefront of this. The Eldonians scheme borrows technology and method from Peel’s MediaCityUK, a large scale regeneration project which started in 2007, occupying over 200 acres of former dockland in Salford Quays, near Manchester.  The development, new home to BBC North, will eventually accommodate over 1,000 media related businesses and mixed accommodation, with over 15,000 people expected to be employed at the site.

Energy consultants, Sinclair Knight Merz are developing the masterplan for the Eldonians district energy scheme. SKM consider the MediaCity UK project a “global centre of excellence” and a blueprint for how a sustainable community should look and operate. From its conception the project was based on sound environmental practices through design, construction and operation, providing opportunities for local economic growth and sustainable living. The site tri-generation (Tri-Gen) system provides electricity, heating and cooling to buildings across the site from gas fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units located in central energy centres.

Finance

The opportunity of the Eldonians District Energy Scheme is being developed by a working partnership between COFELY GDF Suez and the Eldonian Group. COFELY GDF Suez have significant experience world wide in developing and providing finance packages for low carbon technology solutions, that are tailored to specific energy and social needs. GDF Suez have created zero-carbon urban networks of home and commercial units in Limeil-Brevannes, France, Amsterdam and Barcelona.  In Brazil they are improving infrastructure, energy production, and playing a key role in improving communities with social projects.  

Cofely GDF Suez has had significant involvement in the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, the Energy Centre and arterial pipe work was funded, designed and constructed by Cofely GDF Suez.  Gas and biomass fuelled boilers will supply heat to the entire Olympic Park while a co-generation unit will provide electricity and heat to produce domestic use hot water and to heat the Aquatic Center.  This energy plant will be able to cover 75% of the site’s demand and decrease emissions by 20% for the duration of the games.

International Image and reputation for the city

SKM identified the potential for MediaCityUK to be a pilot for the BRE’s BREEAM Communities scheme, which led on to the project achieving an Excellent rating. The Eldonians aim for an equivalent standard.

One of the truly ingenious aspects of the system is its total use of local assetsand optimised use of the surrounding environment, in particular the use of canal water as an available cooling source.It’s key to recognise that schemes like the Eldonians and MediaCity UK, while few and far-between today, will pave the way for future communities to consider their wider environmental, social and economic impact. The North West of England will enhance its reputation as an exemplar of best practice for sustainable development.

Fig.2: Satellite picture indicating the site and scope of the proposed Eldonian Energy Centre.

Reasons

Liverpool Commercial District (LCDP) is home to some of the city’s most prestigious organisations, covering sectors such as investment banking, law, publishing and shipping. LCDP provides a leadership role for the private sector in the commercial heart of the city, promoting the remarkable changes and improvement in the quality of both its public realm and its residential and commercial provision. It also provides a forum for stakeholders to work together to identify investment opportunities and develop the area more effectively

by fostering a culture of cooperation and accountability.

Goals

Intrinsic to membership is a commitment to take ownership of issues within the scope of each stakeholder's activities, whether it is in the quality of design of a new development, caring for the immediate vicinity of a building or the level of customer service provision. This also involves taking a more holistic view on issues that may seem costly in the short term but will benefit the area in the long term.

Challenges

One of Liverpool CDP’s key objectives is to work with public and private sector partners to create and sustain a safe, clean and vibrant environment in which to live work and visit. This is an essential element to establishing a true sense of place for the area – quite simply, if people do not feel safe and it is not clean then they will vote with their feet and live, work, visit and invest elsewhere.

Partners

Liverpool CDP is working with Liverpool City Council and its Street Scene Services partner, Enterprise-Liverpool, Merseyside Police, the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Crime Direct team, Merseytravel and individual private sector stakeholders to implement a series of plans and initiatives that are already making the Commercial District a safer and more attractive place.
From innovative lighting projects to additional street cleaning, interventions are having an immediate impact on the quality of the public realm. Perhaps nothing influences people’s perception of an area than the quality of the environment – litter, street clutter, lack of greenery and public space can all detract from the finest surrounding architecture and design.
Liverpool CDP has implemented the following initiatives:

• Intensive “clean sweeps” of the whole area,
• Additional weekend street washing programme, including cleaning down litter bins, doorways, etc
• Footway improvements
• Tree pruning which have been causing problems to adjacent occupiers
• Lamp replacement programme
• A neighbourhood team to ensure that owners and occupiers are playing their part in improving the environment by promoting most practice in the management of trade waste and recycling.

The Liverpool Commercial District Partnership led a consultative process to understand what businesses regard as the priorities for investment and recently obtained approval through a democratic process to establish a Business Improvement District (BID).
BIDs are defined areas within which businesses pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. BIDs provide added value services, such as additional street cleaning, providing security, making capital improvements, construction of pedestrian and streetscape enhancements, and marketing the area. The services provided by BIDs are supplemental to those already provided by the municipality.

The specific projects that the money raised by the BID will fund will be decided by the board in consultation with local businesses. The main objectives of all BID activity will be to:

• Give businesses a local voice
• Increase the area’s desirability and attract occupiers
• Create regional competitive advantage and attract inward investment to the area
• Improve the quality of life of those living and working in the area
• Provide sustainable investment for ongoing capital projects
• Create a positive sense of place through a planned programme of events and animation
• Create an enhanced feeling of safety
• Develop a focused infrastructure and public transport plan

International Image and reputation for the city

Liverpool Commercial District Partnership are members of the World Business District Sustainable Network, (WBDSN). One objective of the WBDSN is to create an ISO standard that participating business districts can use to develop their sustainable development policies and set key indicators so that required performance (economic, environmental and social) can be achieved and subsequently improved.

Climate change is a scientifically accepted phenomenon and our buildings (both new and existing) and public spaces must respond in a way that limits the impact of this change.  This is a challenge that Business Districts around the World must continue to lead on and they must do it in a way that demonstrates that economic growth and sustainable development are both essential and compatible.

Fig.3: The boundaries of Liverpool’s Commercial District and (in red) it’s new heart, St Pauls Square.

Reasons

The Kauffman Foundation have chosen Liverpool to co-host the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Congress, (GEC) a gathering of leaders from over 100 nations committed to advancing entrepreneurial activity. This is the first time the GEC has been in Europe having previously been held in Shanghai, Dubai and Kansas, USA. In March 2012, Liverpool will stage an innovative and exciting core conference programme with a number of high profile key note speakers but will also underpin the Congress with a series of creative fringe events. We were selected in part because of the City’s history of entrepreneurial achievement, but equally because Liverpool is in the process of transforming itself by returning to these entrepreneurial traditions and recognising that entrepreneurship provides the only real source of long term economic growth.

Liverpool is one of the world’s great cities of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism. Eight hundred years ago our forefathers were a community of fishermen without a place to sell their catch, but its location on the western seaboard turned it, by the end of the 19th century, into the greatest port on earth through trade and movement of people. Liverpool’s entrepreneurialism was reflected in the majesty of the UNESCO World Heritage waterfront- facing out to the world. During the course of the next century though Liverpool’s Atlantic advantage, so important in its growth, now made the port unsuitable to capitalise on the new trade with Europe.

It has taken some time for Liverpool to recover and believe it can again but it is doing so- by excavating its rich entrepreneurial seam. Jobs lost during the final decades of the 20th century in traditional port-related and manufacturing industries have been replaced by growth in professional services, knowledge, creative, retail and hospitality. The awarding of the GEC to Liverpool gives us a great opportunity to showcase our achievements and to reinforce a real entrepreneurial legacy amongst our citizens.

Challenges

Compared to other parts of the UK, and particularly the South East of England, Liverpool has a relatively low business density, and a strong bias towards public sector employment.
Goals
We aim to deliver an innovative and exciting core congress which will welcome and inspire; will facilitate exchange of good practice and encourage a flow of new ideas amongst the 115 nations participating. A series of fringe events will engage hundreds of people with an idea to start a business, who will pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts. The most promising will participate in a ‘start up weekend’ which will bring together developers, designers and marketers to share ideas and build products.

A key priority for us is to leave a legacy of entrepreneurship and we feel it is vital to engage young people, to this end we will be working with schools in Liverpool from September 2011 through until the Congress and help reinforce a cultural shift and positive and proactive mindset towards “making a job, not taking a job”.

The Global Cleantech Open launched 4 years ago searches the globe to find the next big idea to address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. This will form part of the GEC in 2012.

Female entrepreneurship is a theme which will run throughout the GEC, practitioners will be hosted by the Liverpool based Women’s International Centre for Economic Development.

Partners

We are co-hosting theGEC with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Foundation is among the thirty largest foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately USD $2 billion. Their vision is to foster “a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities.”

We have a project board representative of Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and leading entrepreneurs from the city. They are providing strategic guidance to help us make this the most impressive and impactful Congress yet.

Finance

The GEC is financed through sponsorship from local, national and international companies who have recognised the opportunity to be associated with a global event that will embed a real legacy of entrepreneurialism within the communities of Liverpool and the 115 countries from which delegates are converging from across the globe.

International Image and reputation for the city

In 2008 Liverpool hosted the most successful European Capital of Culture ever according to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manual Barroso. It has been the springboard to new successes and new ideas. Co-hosting the GEC with the Kauffman Foundation can have a similar effect and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs, strengthening the economy and advancing human welfare.

Fig.4: Flanked by the city’s two Cathedrals is the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) on Liverpool’s waterfront. The ACC will host the first Global Entrepreneurship Congress to come to Europe.

Reasons

A generation of economic decline has taken its toll on Liverpool.  Disparities in income and opportunity are reflected in health and wellbeing inequalities within the city and between Liverpool and the rest of the UK. There is an 8 year life expectancy gap between the most and least affluent Liverpool citizens, and the poorest experience greater prevalence of illness.

Health inequality is not just a matter of social justice but directly affects the success of the city and the local economy by limiting its potential growth and productivity.  There has been recognition that the changes we bring about require a better balance between economic, social and environmental impacts.

Challenges

2010 was designated Year of Health and Wellbeing with the aim of making health everyone’s business, forging partnerships for change across public, private and civil sectors , informed by the Michael Marmot reviews internationally.

Challenges include the need to engage widely, consistently and imaginatively across hundreds of partners to embed wellbeing into the culture of our civic life and economic planning. Resource constraints and structural changes for many public and voluntary sector partners in the UK bring about both challenges and opportunities to embed sustainable development. 

The momentum gained and the breadth and commitment of partners, encouraged the launch of a Decade of Health and Wellbeing  a long term strategic framework, to bring the policies, priorities and programmes off the page and into the homes, offices, schools community, culture, sports and faith centres of our city.

Goals

Our vision is Liverpool in 2020 where health and wellbeing is at the heart of our purpose, culture, planning and action. Where communities, public and private organisations are all working together in a Liverpool which is more Equal, Well and Green.

Our overarching aim is to improve the wellbeing of all Liverpool residents and narrow the gap between our most deprived and affluent communities, improving health equality.

Our approach is to place community at the heart of action and investment in all sectors, to shift from needs to assets, service provision to co-production, disenfranchised to empowered…enabling Liverpool communities to achieve their full potential.

Our aims are:-

• Communities, public and private sector organisations sharing the vision and taking action.
• To enable people to feel well and to recognise and fulfil more of their potential.
• To enable Liverpool to be more equal in economic wealth and opportunities, by supporting sustainable regeneration and skills and employment growth.
• To create a greener city that will build healthy and sustainable places & communities, be resilient to change that attract people to live and invest.

Major programmes include:-

• A Workplace Wellbeing charter
• A Healthy Homes programme
• High quality public health programmes to engage citizens
• Neighbourhood delivery of health services and  a community asset building approach
• Sustainable and active modes of travel carbon reduction plans in all organisations
• Arts and cultural programmes to improve wellbeing, patient recovery, rehabilitation and pathways to education and employment
• Encouragement of a local food system, to increase healthy eating and improved resilience in food supply
• A green infrastructure strategy to increase access to and quality of green space.

Partners

Major partners include Liverpool Primary Care Trust and the NHS, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Merseytravel, the city’s main cultural organisations, Universities, Football Clubs, environmental groups and, social landlords.

Finance

Core funding has been made available by Liverpool Primary Care Trust and is being matched by partners in the public and private sector. The approach is to increase alignment of resources across organisations to improve the ability to increase sustainability and wellbeing through more effective use of resources.

International Image and reputation for the city

The initiative builds on experience during a year of health and wellbeing and of more than two decades of collaboration with the World Health Organisation European Healthy Cities programme as well as the development of a Smoke Free campaign, which was pioneered in Liverpool and helped bring about the UK smoke free legislation.

A city which places the wellbeing of its citizens at the heart of its decision making, planning and culture is a truly sustainable city for the future. The Decade of Health and Wellbeing brings this focus to Liverpool’s endeavours to develop a truly sustainable vision for others to share in a successful future. 

Reasons

Rights and Humanity have recently located its new International Centre of Excellence in Liverpool. They are an international not-for-profit organisation, which contributes to development, peace and environmental sustainability through the realisation of human rights and responsibilities in people’s everyday lives. Their premise is that globally recognised human rights law and the principles of humanity - those responsibilities shared across faiths and cultures - provide a legal framework and moral compass for solutions to the global challenges of poverty, inequality and lack of sustainability.

Rights and Humanity build bridges of understanding between people of different faiths, cultures, and have played a critical role in resolving deadlock between governments on sensitive issues at UN conference. Training is directed towards empowering individuals to act on their responsibilities in public policy and in corporate, professional and daily life. This approach pioneered and piloted by Rights and Humanity over the last two decades, has now been adopted by UN agencies, as well as by governments and NGOs around the world. Their work has helped shape UN and governmental policies, for instance ensuring integration of human rights into the Global Programme on AIDS and inclusion of economic and social rights in the South African Constitution.

Challenges

Despite making great progress, a report published in 2008, by the Health Is Wealth Commission highlights two key problems in Liverpool: unemployment and health inequalities. Rights and Humanity aim to demonstrate how a human rights approach and a focus on responsibilities can turn the vicious cycle of discrimination, lack of opportunity and poverty into a virtuous cycle of equality, empowerment and social cohesion.

Goals

• Global Leaders Congress 11-14 Sept 2011:  A Global Leaders Congress ‘Global Solutions to Global Challenges: Think Unite Act’, will bring together a core group of thought leaders and innovators from the UN, private, public and civil society. The Congress will work towards identifying solutions to pressing issues for a more just and sustainable world.

• Innovative Community projects: Action research projects with members of three disadvantaged communities in the City will identify models for reducing health inequality and building economic resilience within the communities through social business. It is intended to be the first in a three city study, - Liverpool, Cape Town, Amman.

• Education and Training:  Following a public lecture series on human rights they have been invited by WHO to pilot its right to health module in schools in Liverpool. Discussions are ongoing with Liverpool Hope University about organising a joint diploma leading to a potential Masters qualification in human rights and responsibilities and with UN and government development agencies on collaborating on specific training courses.

Partners

Rights and Humanity will work with public authorities to strengthen integration of human rights norms into policies and programmes.They are working constructively in collaboration with many of stakeholders in Liverpool including the City Council, public authorities, business, universities, faith and community groups.

Finance

Rights and Humanity was provided with a grant for its relocation to Liverpool from the UK Government and is further financed by donations, sponsorship and revenue from training, consultancies, and renting out of our conference and events rooms.  They are currently launching a fund raising programme to demonstrate the diversity of the City through a giant Jigsaw, individual pieces of which are being sponsored by public sector, business and civil society organisations.

International Image and reputation for the city

The global stature of Rights and Humanity’s Patrons – HH The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Tutu, the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan, DadiJanki and Cherie Blair - help raise the City’s profile on the world human rights map.

By engaging multi-stakeholder consensus and targeting policy guidance and training for UN agencies, Governments, NGOs and professionals, Rights and Humanity have a significant role in shaping international and national policies and action, particularly in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The Global Leaders Congress and International Centre of Excellence in Liverpool will increase the flow of international visitors to the City and innovative community projects, to be replicated in South Africa and Jordan, will progress its reputation as a progressive and innovative City.

Discussions are ongoing around the possibility of accrediting Liverpool as the first “Rights and Humanity City” to engage all sectors of society in adopting human rights and responsibilities in their policy and practice. This can help address the social problems that impede Liverpool’s population’s economic and human development, whilst at the same time contributing to the enhancement of the City’s international reputation.

Fig.5: The iconic Liver Building, the first skyscraper in the UK and celebrating it’s 100th anniversary in 2011 is now the home to the Rights and Humanity International Centre of Excellence.

Reasons

The Women’s Organisation is the leading women’s economic development agency in the UK. It is a social enterprise working in Liverpool, nationally and internationally responding to the global call to action to promote gender equality as a basic human right. It has recently launched the Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) to provide a global focus on female entrepreneurship research, business start-up, growth and leadership. 

Challenges

Women own only 1% of the world’s assets yet comprise 70 % of the world’s 1.7 billion people living in poverty. This disparity is repeated to a lesser or greater degree in terms of women’s presence in business and commerce, the judiciary and political life. Improving and creating the conditions which can unlock and enable the entrepreneurial talent of women is an economic growth imperative and to empower women is one of the most important driving forces behind the fight against poverty. Commitment to gender equality and empowerment takes more than words. WICED works with women in local communities and internationally to deliver targeted and concrete actions, developing and sharing knowledge on the best approaches to promote women’s empowerment.

Goals

The Women’s Organisation promotes female entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable business growth, enabling women to achieve success and greater prosperity, to become leaders and to connect. They fulfil the role of advocates for women’s interests across a whole spectrum of areas, a creator and a disseminator of knowledge, influencing policy and perception at all levels. Their physical facilities and internal culture are tangible reflections of values that are full of life, nurturing a diversity of people and enterprise. They are rich in intelligence, debate and shared purpose. They are light, modern and welcoming, distinctive additions to city life: somewhere where women can relax and talk freely without pressure or threat.

They are accessible for all women, whatever their story or background, pioneering new ideas, resources,programmes and connectionscontinually evaluating and improving practices, respondingto women’s needs creatively.Their success lies in the real,positive impact on women’slives, whether nurturingnew businesses towards a viablefuture, driving improvements inlegislation and power structures,or contributing to social awareness.They help women recognise and fulfiltheir potential and facilitatethe development of aspiration,of worth and of achievement.The Women’s Organisationestablish trust andunderstanding,promoting co-operation and supportbetween women and men, andfostering collaborations from thegrass roots through to boardroomsand government departments. Theytake account of diversityby making services inclusiveand accessible to all sectionsof the community and creatingan environment that respectsand values stakeholders.

Partners

The Women’s Organisation collaborates locally, nationally and internationally with individual women and communities, civil society, education institutions, public and private sector. Partners include Liverpool City Council, over 32 universities worldwide from Babson College in the USA to Massey University in New Zealand. They also collaborate closely with the European Commission, The World Bank, Women’s Business Centres and a diverse range of other key stakeholders.

Finance

The Women’s Organisation generates its own income through service delivery, research and consultancy projects. They reinvest all of profits/surpluses to deliver additional social and economic outcomes for the most disadvantaged women both here in the UK and in other part of the globe.

International Image and reputation for the city

There is a huge untapped resource which our society needs to harness effectively – the enterprise of women. The visionary development of WICED is a significant step forward in harnessing that resource, with implications for the global economy, as well as for Liverpool and the UK. There are still not enough women in business. This is not because women don’t have the aspirations or the skills, but because the environment doesn’t encourage the development of their entrepreneurial capacity. This international centre aims to help address this. It is important because there is not just an economic opportunity being missed here…women’s choices have historically been limited, with consequent frustrations and challenges. We need to have more women starting and growing their own businesses, and we need to create the conditions and infrastructure that will help achieve this.

This world – leading concept now taking shape in Liverpool will, both through the physical form and intellectually, provide a beacon by which to raise all our aspirations for women’s economic development locally and internationally. By bringing together the elements of research; gendered business incubation and high quality business support, WICED will mean more women’s businesses, creating wealth and prosperity.

Fig.6: The Women’s International Centre for Economic Development, based in Liverpool

Reasons

Founded in 1898, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was the first institution in the world dedicated to tropical disease and has led the field in the fight against infectious, debilitating and disabling diseases ever since.

As a centre of excellence, the school aims to promote improved health by:

• providing and promoting high quality education and training;
• conducting first-class research and disseminating the result of that research;
• developing systems and technologies for health care and assisting in their transfer and management;
• providing appropriate consultancy services; in fulfilling this mission also provides a clinical service of acknowledged excellence.

In fulfilling this mission LSTM also provides a clinical service of acknowledged excellence.

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is one of the few postgraduate centres of excellence in the field of tropical medicine.  Over 500 students from 60 countries undertake learning opportunities ranging from short courses to Masters programmes, taught here and across the developing world.  Many of our alumni go on to fulfil senior roles in public health and academia.

Challenges

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine work in over 70 countries worldwide to fulfil our mission of improving the health of the world’s poorest people, helping to bring research innovation and scientific breakthroughs from the lab to those most in need.
One example of an area of excellence and strategic importance is Maternal & Newborn Health.  The Maternal & Newborn Health Unit offers unique expertise in using the rigorous discipline of research to inform teaching and technical assistance programmes to improve the health of mothers and babies globally.

It has been estimated that each year 358,000 women worldwide die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth – that is one every minute.  Many more survive but will suffer ill health and disability as a result of these complications.  In addition an estimated 4 million neonatal deaths and 3 million stillbirths occur each year.  More than three quarters of all deaths occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Goals
The Maternal & Newborn Health Unitworks in Asia and Africa to ensure best practice and an improved policy environment in maternal and newborn health which will lead to a step change in the coverage and uptake of quality Skilled Birth Attendance and Essential (Emergency) Obstetric Care and Newborn Care. 

Partners

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine works with partners throughout the world.  Some of these partners include the World Health Organisation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, UKAID (DFID), UNICEF, UN agencies and Ministries of Health throughout the world.

Finance

A worldwide reputation and calibre of research outputs has secured funding to lead a number of international consortia and product development partnerships aimed at reducing or eliminating the impact of diseases upon the world's poorest people.

Last year they recorded a turnover of £53 million, growing their research portfolio to a record £192 million and increased the number of people who they directly employ to nearly 300.

International image and reputation for the city

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is the jewel in Liverpool’s knowledge economy crown.  It attracts the world’s top academics and researchers and aims to achieve global recognition as the premier European institution in tropical international health.  As one of the four institutions in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, they contribute to a total of 14,000 jobs and £1 billion worth of value added to Liverpool’s economy.

Fig 7: LSTM improving maternal and newborn health in Africa

Reasons

The Liverpool Food Alliance is a partnership of organisations pioneering a practical agenda around access to land, urban food production and alternative routes to market. The mission is to develop resilient city wide community food systems and related health initiatives. The LFA is evolving a co-operative business model to build sustainability, connectivity, scale and mutual benefit within an emerging urban food sector in Liverpool.  LFA is developing a collaborative network of local producers, traders, buyers and consumers to match demand to supply and create a stable market for locally-grown products.  LFA aims to connect up the food supply to enable initiatives to supply the city's needs.  The LFA will build its operations on principles of sustainability in urban agriculture that recognise the equal inter-dependence of its social, ecological and economic potentials.

>Goals

The LFA will identify suitable under or unutilised green spaces in the city and transform them into development hubs for urban/peri-urban food production that benefit local neighbourhoods and the local ecology.  It will deliver health, economic and sustainability outcomes and increase the momentum of ‘greening activities’ in the city while developing a stronger knowledge base and technical capacity for sustainable urban agriculture.

Challenges

The LFA is a solution-seeking initiative that promotes the design of sustainable local food systems to address a range of issues around urban living.  It seeks fresh perspectives on the future viability of cities in a world of increasing resource pressure and scarcity.  The challenge to the LFA is to:

• Generate collaborative consumption by developing links and networks that bring producers and consumers into closer and mutually benefiting relationships
• Bring about a revolution in urban green space, recognising the benefits of productive urban green spaces
• Create efficiencies, co-operating to do more with less
• Help address insecurities in a world of change
• Help tackle climate change
• Build more sustainable communities around a core sustenance economy: food, energy, shelter, transit
• Develop a more localised economy, reinventing neighbourhoods and building community capital
• Reduce urban sprawl and protect the green belt, improving the quality of the urban experience to make the city liveable, equitable, sustainable.

Partners

The partners in the Liverpool Food Alliance are currently -  Liverpool YMCA and their Homeless Hostels Food Alliance; Rotters Community Composting; Rice Lane City Farm; Squash Nutrition; Food for Thought (school kitchens); Liverpool PCT; Groundwork Merseyside; Peter Rix from Natural Progressions is the LFA co-ordinator.  The LFA would ultimately position itself as the service hub for a multi stakeholder consumer co-operative operating at both city wide and at neighbourhood levels.

Finance

As funding and subsidy increasingly recede, the LFA is seeking to address this issue and to safeguard the investments and progress already made.  It aims to scale up local food and other production to the point where it can generate income and help community organisations become self-financing, initially through collaborative working, network development and resource pooling.  The LFA partners will build a new agricultural sector within the city which is both commercially viable and maintains the shared social and ecological missions and sustainability ethos of its partners.

International image and reputation for the city.

The LFA represents a group who is progressively developing a new holistic model for the city to build local food system capacity for both community and commercial benefit. The LFA concept is underpinned by principles of sustainability and increasing localisation.  Implementation contributes to climate change transitional actions that are achievable, participatory and have both local and global impacts. Success for the LFA would help Liverpool present an alternative strategy with regard to its climate change, greening the city and food security issues thereby improving its green credentials while linking them to a plan for social/consumer participation, environmental protection and community economic rejuvenation.

How did you hear about the 100 Cities Initiative of the World Urban Campaign?

Liverpool was the only UK city exhibiting at the World Expo, Shanghai 2010 having been invited to showcase within the Urban Best Practice Area, in recognition of our heritage led sustainable development over the last ten years. We went on to win several awards for the content and operations of our pavilion.

In October we attended your launch of the 100 Cities Initiative of the World Urban Campaign at the United Nations Pavilion. On our return we contacted your press office and consulted local public and private sector partners who all shared our enthusiasm to make an application.

Why did you decide to apply?

We believe Liverpool has a great story to tell,  recognised by the invitation to participate in the Urban Best Practice Area at Expo. With the Eldonians winning the UN World Habitat award in 2004 we already have a profile with you at UN Habitat HQ in Nairobi and would like to build on that.

We share the same core values as UN Habitat and want to make a commitment to your growing global coalition of public, private and civil society partners united by the common desire to advocate on the positive role of cities around the World. We will join you in mobilising people, communities, municipal officials, service providers and our political leaders to develop sustainable urbanisation policies.

We have recognised the following benefits of Liverpool being one of the UN 100 Cities:

 - Participation in a global learning, sharing and networking platform in support of sustainable  
urbanisation policies and design principles that generate increased capital flows.
 -  Exposure to a global network of partners that are promoting leading edge practices in sustainable
urban development as well as gaining insight into new public private partnerships investment models.
 -  Positioning Liverpool Internationally as a sustainable, progressive, innovative and business friendly.