The City of Edinburgh has just announced the beginning of a 3-month consultation on its new transportation plan to help the city achieve its zero-carbon target by 2030. The transport convenor hopes the consultation will reach every ‘nook and cranny’ of the city to hear people’s views and further refine the proposals. The city is one of the most congested in the UK. It also has a fast-growing population with land set aside for an additional 37000 homes. If current transportation patterns continue mobility problems for residents, businesses and visitors can only get worse.

I noticed recently that Barcelona has just appointed a night-time mayor to oversee and co-ordinate city activities to support its growing night-time economy, seen as vital to the quality of life and prosperity of the city. They are not the first to create such a post. Amsterdam pioneered a Night Mayor in 2012, Paris has a Night Council to link with governance structures and stakeholders.

Any complete explanation for why the American citizenry is so divided would have to include a combination of factors like economic inequality, media Influence, mistrust in institutions, urban and rural interests, globalization, and technological advances.

New Year is the time when both individuals and governments declare new goals and ambitions. Remarkably, 2024 will be a record year for elections with over 50 scheduled presidential, government and regional elections in countries around the world including many in its largest democracies. Electors in the US, the UK, the EU, and many Asian countries including India and the Philippines have the chance to set new directions for their nations.