Leader

Creativity explored

This issue focuses on creativity in cities (in the broadest sense), whether as new approaches to city planning and management, the design of spaces and buildings, collaborating to solve old problems, or integrating our constantly evolving home, working and leisure lives.

Recognizing the value of being innovative is a trick that many organisations overlook to their cost, leaving people unchallenged or uninspired. We are mistaking a busy and stressed workforce with an inventive, energetic and fulfilled one; yet as the UK’s manufacturing base declines, this is one of our greatest areas of potential growth and export (Britpop notwithstanding). With the Government investing significantly in creativity through skills development, knowledge transfer partnerships, and new technologies, we all need to make more time to think. This issue also reports on people taking a leadership role to push new ideas forward, challenging the norm, to make places and processes better.

In a similar vein, entries invited for the Francis Tibbalds Prize 2008/9 need to be submitted by April 28th 2008. All UDG-member practices and public sector bodies are eligible to take part and have been sent details. This year completed schemes can also be submitted, and two individual UDG members working in a local authority team can submit a project, which we hope will encourage more to get involved. The voting for the 2007/8 prize will be between July and September 2008 with the prize-giving ceremony in September, see the UDG website for more details.

Louise Thomas