Changing Times

Changing Times was the name given to the Local Agenda 21 process in the City of Nottingham. It was steered jointly by Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Green Partnership.
==Process==
Following a long period of discussion and planning, Changing Times proper began in 1997 with a wide consultation process. A leaflet went to every household in the City Council area, introducing the process and asking people to give their top priorities for the future. This generated responses from 500 individuals, 50 schools and 200 children. An event, 'Making Changes', with 120 participants drew out more vision and action ideas.
At the same time the topic-based sub-groups of Nottingham Green Partnership - Built Environment, Energy, Purchasing and Economy, Transport, etc - came up with strategies for their particular issues.
The community and specialist strands were then drawn together. The work so far was summarised in a booklet called 'A Thousand Voices' in February 1999. The draft LA21 plan, 'Changing Our City', appeared in September of that year, out for consultation till January 2000 - there were 400 responses. A conference with 100 participants looked at it in more detail in March. Over the remainder of the year the plan was revised in the light of comments.
The final version was adopted by Nottingham City Council in early 2001 and published as 'Changing Our City, Changing Ourselves', an attractive 60-page document in full colour.
Unfortunately resources were never allocated to detailed action planning or monitoring progress towards the plan's goals, so as a coordinated process Changing Times basically finished in 2001. Of course many of its topics for concern and specific actions have been addressed by organisations and individuals doing their bit.
==Content==
Here's an abstract of the main part of the contents to show the range of issues covered by the final strategy (omitting short introducion and implementation sections).
*Feeling Good! (sustainable wellbeing) - Health, Personal & Community Safety, Housing, Food, Work, Leisure & Culture, Peace & Quiet, Spiritual Wellbeing
*Places for People! (sustainable environments) - Better Buildings, Clean Streets/Green Streets, Spaces for Species (including Homo Sapiens)
*Getting about a Bit! (sustainable travel and transport) - Walking and Cycling, Buses, Cars and other vehicles, Trains and Trams, Other key transport issues
*Quids In! (a sustainable local economy) - including Economic Development, Shops and Products, Poverty and Low Income
*Use with Care! (sustainable resources) - Energy, Water, Conserving Resources, Managing Waste, Air Pollution, Contaminated Land
*Bulwell to Bulawayo! (sustainable Nottingham, sustainable world) - International Development, Climate Change
*Learn to Live, Live to Learn! (sustainable development education) - including Publicity, Education and Training
*All Together Now! (sustainable communities) - Groups, Neighbourhoods
==Useful links==
* Opinion - The end of Changing Our City - reflecting on the expiry of the five-year plan