USE-IT and the Commonwealth Games

August is here – and it’s hot!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather during the Commonwealth Games here in Birmingham – though a little rain wouldn’t go amiss in the coming days! Instead, we’re getting a sweltering heatwave at least until Sunday with non a drop of the wet stuff in sight.

The Commonwealth Games was a big success for Birmingham on many levels. The biggest being that Birmingham has been bathed in very positive publicity stretching all across the world. Let’s face it, Birmingham is a city that generally gets a very negative press, certainly in Britain, so it’s no exaggeration to say the games have really changed this.

Linked to this is the fact that a lot of people, in Britain, but equally from other countries, really didn’t know much about Birmingham and were certainly not aware of what this vibrant city has to offer. Again, we’ll wait and see (with fingers crossed), but this really does seem to have changed in the past week-and-half.

Thinking more about USE-IT, we’re very different to the Commonwealth for a whole range of reasons – but at the same time there are some similarities. After all, USE-IT is a partnership of cities all under the umbrella of URBACT; we’re working closely with each other; all want to learn from each other; there are some financial links; and we want our links to remain strong and meaningful going forward.

As USE-IT formally comes to an end in October (which we will be very sad to see); this does raise the question of legacy. As with the Commonwealth Games lots of people were asking about and planning the legacy of what will come afterwards. Equally, with USE-IT, we’re doing the same.

These next few weeks and months are going to be busy and we need to have some serious conversations about the project’s legacy in the short and long-term. Things have gotten off to a flying start, so now we need to keep the momentum going – just like the Commonwealth Games.