Birmingham City University’s Beverley Nielsen will discuss making Birmingham a greener, more resilient city for the future at an upcoming virtual event.
Posted 15 November 2021
Addressing city challenges
Beverley, an Associate Professor and Senior Fellow in the Centre for Brexit Studies (CBS), will take part in the Resilient Birmingham seminar, taking place virtually on Friday 26 November between 9-10.30am.
On the panel for the event is Councillor Brigid Jones, Deputy Leader for Birmingham City Council.
The event arrives at a time when Birmingham, like many other cities, is confronting the need to build more efficient infrastructures and connectivity, delivering healthy areas with better air quality, and providing high-quality public services and access to economic opportunity.
Beverley and the panel will discuss the challenges Birmingham are currently facing – including the high levels of deprivation, the impact Covid-19 has had upon businesses and the economy, and making the city a greener and healthier place to live.
Positive steps to building a resilient Birmingham
Beverley and the panel will discuss a number of topics related to building a resilient Birmingham, including greening the economy, a topic Beverley has written about extensively in a recent book.
“Greening the economy is about moving to sustainable economic models which do not lead to continuing increases in greenhouse gas emissions,” Beverley explains.
“Decreased pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency and preventing degradation of biodiversity and ecosystems is at the heart of any green economy.”
Though the event will touch upon the challenges, it will also look to the solutions being put in place, with Beverley hoping that attendees will come away feeling positive about the direction the city is heading in.
“I hope it provides an opportunity for people to understand more about all that Birmingham is already doing in taking positive steps forward as our leading regional capital city,” Beverley says.
“I hope it will stimulate further debate and discussion, and that the dialogue between our organisations is strengthened further.”
Building key relationships for the future
Beverley hopes that Birmingham City University’s role in hosting this event will be the catalyst in building key relationships with other relevant stakeholders.
“I hope we can forge closer bonds with our city council, our LEP, our combined authority and the people who are tackling the very serious challenges confronting us as we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she says.
“We’ll need to work together more closely than ever before if we are to tackle the climate emergency effectively, as well as build good quality housing for people, especially those from economically deprived areas, and improve health and learning outcomes for our population.”
The Resilient Birmingham seminar is taking place on Friday 26 November. Registrations are open now.
