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The Royal Scottish Society of Arts
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1st Meeting of the 191st Session (2011-2012)

A Streetcar Named Desire?
What the Edinburgh Trams fiasco teaches us about our attitudes to transport and the cities we live in

Professor Iain Docherty BSc PhD CMILT
Professor of Public Policy and Management
The University of Glasgow Business School

In the Augustine United Church
41 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh, EH1 1EL
On Monday 10th October 2011, at 7pm

Years late, over budget and drastically cut back from its original planned route, the Edinburgh Trams project is one of the most controversial episodes in the city's modern history. Understandably, the main focus of public debate has been on the cost of the scheme, and the inability of our systems of governance to get a grip on a project that has often seemed out of control. But the vehemence of the negative public reaction to the trams also exposes various issues about how we value our cities, how we want them to function in future, and the role transport has to play in determining quality of life. When the trams are finally running on Edinburgh's streets, will the experience make a sustainable urban future more or less likely?

Iain Docherty BSc PhD CMILT is Professor of Public Policy and Management at the University of Glasgow Business School. Iain's research and teaching addresses the interconnecting issues of public administration, institutional change and city and regional competitiveness, with particular emphasis on the structures and processes of local and regional governance, policies for delivering improved economic performance and environmental sustainability, and the development and implementation of strategic planning and transport policies. Iain also works with and acts as an advisor on strategic policy issues to a range of private sector, governmental and other organisations including several in the UK, US, Canada and Sweden. He served as Non-Executive director of Transport Scotland, the national transport agency for Scotland, from 2006 - 2010, and in 2011 was appointed as one of the inaugural members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland.

Location of meeting

Members of the Public are welcome to attend

Society Business

Would Fellows please note that Annual General Meeting of the Society's 190th Session (2010-2011) will take place at 6:30pm.

Jane Ridder-Patrick, Secretary
secretary@rssa.org.uk
Telephone: 0131 556 2161

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