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Cities: bragging or shaming



Happy New Year! It's been a few years since I've seen in the New Year in Edinburgh. Traditionally we go to the warmth of South East Asia for Christmas so it's been a delight to discover that Edinburgh (and Fife, come to that) is the place for parties around this time. The Scots are known to get pretty excited about seeing in a New Year. They do torchlight processions, fireworks, they walk the cold but beautifully lit streets sharing swigs from their whisky with each other. The first time I came across this more than 15 years ago, I thought it rather cute if a tad unhygienic... The city council is busy bragging that 100,000 visitors will come to Edinburgh for the New Year, boosting the City coffers by £25m over the weekend.

Friends around the world are also bragging that their city - Berlin, Dubai, Sydney, London - has the biggest fireworks or the biggest party in all the world. The amount of fun to be had at times like this obviously drives home the pride in one's city - just as, say, an Olympics might do, or a Festival, or being voted the safest, cleanest, friendliest, prettiest, most cultured and a host of other best positions. 

 Every city can be the best in the world in something. The ability to attract visitors, investment and talent is pretty crucial for cities who want to claim the crown as best financial, shopping, cultural, business centre in the world. The safety of citizens as they go about their work and social life, and their ability to travel easily around the city are key ingredients. Mayors and City Councils aim to do as well as possible in one of the many global city league tables. A quick glance at AT Kearney Global Cities Index and Global Sherpa enlightens, you only need to look at  Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnston, Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, each of whom have created a clear leadership legacy for their tenure in London and New York - mostly around cleaning up, speeding up, making their cities safer, more fun, or more businesslike than the next. 

 So it pains me greatly to think about the effect on India's capital city, of stomach-churning events such as the gang-rape and brutal murder of 23 year-old 'Nirbaya' in Delhi - a city I have visited often, and love for its colours, bustling, noise and people. How will this affect the already questionable reputation of Delhi as a destination city for investment and tourism? The people of Delhi, the people of India and thousands around the world are taking to the streets and online platforms to demand that Something Is Done to make Delhi safer for women and indeed citizens in general, and for legislative and policing infrastructure, now burdened by corruption and inefficiency, to have the capability to bring criminals to book quickly and effectively. Sheila Dikshit, Delhi's Chief Minister felt this anger as she was treated with contempt by crowds of angry citizens. Corruption and bureaucracy are already two notable elements of India's negative reputation.

 A distinct lack of leadership comes across. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says he is 'saddened' by this event. Saddened?? Sonia Gandhi makes stronger anger statements but where is the action, or even the promise of action? Granted, there is A Big Job to be done. Not just from improved legislation and tightening up the systems of law and order but also in the long haul of changing the mindsets of men in power that women are not objects of abuse. Many cities around the world have made major improvements for their citizens through a shared political will and understanding that change involves a good honest look at what need to be corrected, a shared commitment to put aside political, ethnic and religious differences for the common good, real investment in talent and resources and most importantly, strong leadership. 

 The safety of women in Delhi hangs in the balance, and so does Delhi's reputation as a destination for international visitors and thereafter, as a city to be taken seriously in world business, politics and culture. 

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