Published Date: Jun 28th, 2023
The first ever Dunfermline City Conference took place on Tuesday 27th June at Glen Pavilion, in the heart of the city’s Pittencrieff Park. The event brought together over 300 attendees and featured presentations and workshops from community, economic and government stakeholders.
During his opening remarks to the conference, Leader of Fife Council, Councillor David Ross said:
“It is really encouraging to see so many of our community partners in attendance, and it shows that there is a real determination from everyone in Dunfermline to build on city status and seize the opportunities that it presents.
“This city conference will define the next chapters in Dunfermline’s story, and we are looking forward to working with all of our community partners to build a stronger, greener and fairer Dunfermline.”
Presenters from various sectors discussed how their organisations can build and provide opportunities for Dunfermline’s growth. The topics of presentations ranged from raising the profile of tourism in the city to improving infrastructure and fostering self-belief and pride in the community.
Attendees collaborated positively and discussed their existing views towards the city’s future and how these can be assembled into a central vision for Dunfermline moving forward.
Following the presentations, a series of short videos were played to attendees voicing the opinions of both older and younger residents of Dunfermline, and what city status means to them moving forward.
The workshops of the day focused on key topics such as tourism, sustainability, inclusivity, community empowerment and local businesses.
Reflecting on the workshops, Councillor James Calder, Convener of City of Dunfermline Area Committee said:
“A vital theme to take from the workshops today is partnership. Of course, the council has an important part to play in Dunfermline’s future, but all our community stakeholders are our partners in this endeavour.
“We need to focus on how all our distinct communities can reap the benefits of city status, and after today’s conference, we can now begin to define a clear vision that benefits everyone in Dunfermline.”
Another aspect of the conference was highlighting Dunfermline’s role as a smart city, and how Dunfermline can build on the 8th City Programme, an initiative by the Scottish Cities Alliance.
In closing the event, Gordon Mole, Head of Business and Employability at Fife Council said:
"We have a huge number of people here from several organisations, and we want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to capitalise on Dunfermline’s prosperity moving forward."
The event is set to be the first of several discussions moving forward to work with community partners and provide opportunities for all stakeholders to voice their opinions and concerns and collaboratively discuss the shape Dunfermline will take as Scotland’s 8th City.