Jane Cunningham

Greg Clark 

We were so delighted to discover that the wonderful Jane Cunningham is one of our listeners to the DNA of Cities Podcast. Jane, it's lovely to have you here. Please tell us what have you enjoyed or found meaningful in your listening to the DNA of Cities Podcast?

Jane Cunningham 

Oh Greg, well, thank you so much for inviting me. I have to say, I have a gorgeous fox red Labrador who needs a lot of walking so I'm a fan of podcasts. As you know, I am also a huge supporter of cities and very interested in how cities operate, what makes them tick and what makes them unique. So I have listened to a couple of the podcasts. I've listened to I think it's Barcelona, Glasgow, Vienna, and what destination was I going to listen to next-- Philadelphia I'm interested in listening to. But I have to say what I really like about it is not only is it well researched, you're hearing from people that actually live in these destinations. But also, there's historians, or there's people who represent the Chamber of Commerce and what it means for the business in the city. Then I like when Caitlin comes in and she does a little bit of a summary. These are the maybe the three words that summarise what this city really is all about. So, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the ones I have so far.

Greg Clark 

That's wonderful and pleasure is our business so if you get enjoyment from it, that's excellent. And what I suppose I want to ask you then is what does The DNA of Cities now then mean to you? And how does this connect with your professional life? Because you're very much a leader in helping cities to establish, you know, what they do as destinations, but tell us first what it means to you? And then how and why is it applicable in your professional work?

Jane Cunningham 

Well, I work for an association of destination organisations, Destinations International. So we're really trying to ask how can we understand more about different cities and what their challenges are? Actually, what is the role of a destination organisation? Whether it be the marketing of a destination for people to visit, live, invest in, study in, holiday in? How does the destination organisation manage the destination? What can they do to increase their relevance? So when I'm listening to The DNA of Cities, I really enjoyed that it takes me a little bit outside of the tourism and business event world to understand what's everybody else talking about in a city and how can that inspire what we're doing.

Greg Clark 

Wonderful, Jane, and you know that idea that as the place becomes a destination it has to reach deeply into its own fabric in order to communicate its essence, I think, is so important. I'm really glad that that's been meaningful for you. Jane, I want to invite you to pick one city that you know, well, that you'd like to tell us about the DNA of that city, as you see it and why that city is appealing or meaningful for you.

Jane Cunningham 

Well, I'm from Edinburgh. So I would want to say Edinburgh first, however, living in Stockholm, where I live now and I've been here for almost 10 years. I think when you live somewhere that you're not from, I suppose you submerge yourself in a different way rather than me going back to Edinburgh where I'm from and maybe falling into the things that I would always do in Edinburgh. So I'm far more aware of what Stockholm wants to be and you know, it's very visionary. They call themselves the 'open city'. So everybody should be able to access anywhere within the city, whether it's getting onto buses, whether it's accessing the Tunnelbana [which is the underground], accessing green places, so it's absolutely a city for all and there's a lot of investment that goes into that to make sure people can move around the city. It's very open as well when it comes to inviting entrepreneurs, people from all over the world to come here and to make Stockholm home, which means also it's very international. Swedish may be the first language however, all languages are welcome, all cultures are welcome. I really think that shines through in the support and investment into the place. Also things like childcare making sure that affordable childcare from the age of one ­– these enablers so that people can work, people can contribute, children can build these core important skills from a very young age. I think that some of these cultural, social developments that have been in place for a long time, I think in Scandinavia, really show how it benefits society now. You can see that maybe putting these initiatives in place in other countries may take a while. But here, it's very much you need to move yourself, you need to be outside and in the fresh air in the greenery bearing in mind, we're in a climate that six months of the year we need snow tires, but it's all about it's all about eating well, it's all about using the resources that are available, hard-working, innovative, creative, inclusive. So yes, if I haven't sold you the idea that you should cover Stockholm, I think you should. Then also I suppose Denmark, Copenhagen, I love going to Copenhagen, it's got a zest and a vibrancy and a colour and lots of bikes. But it's a fabulous, fabulous city. I'd love to see any of the Scandinavian cities covered in future city DNA podcasts.

Greg Clark 

Well, thank you, Jane. I'm going to ask you that question directly in a moment about where you'd like us to go next. But I love what you're saying about Stockholm and about Copenhagen and about Nordic cities, because there is somehow this magical combination, isn't there, of what the climate has given them, which is this, you know, daylight/nightlight combination, the extremes of season, coupled with the extremes of whether, and then this amazing sort of Nordic social democratic model that creates this openness, this consensus about investment in the social fabric, and then these smaller cities that try to be distinctive and punch above their weight in terms of their size, through quality. The focus on quality is amazing, isn't it?

Jane Cunningham 

How do you connect the people of a city that live in that city and from that city with the visiting community? Whether it be-- I don't know-- people on holiday, people who have decided to make it their home maybe only for a few years, people who are studying there. I think that is also a bit of an issue, as I heard in Barcelona that people are still not quite as welcoming to people into their home. That maybe and I think it's the same thing in Stockholm. I wonder if it's a similar thing in other in other places and that's an interesting point for me, the social aspect of bringing the different communities together.

Greg Clark 

As you said, Stockholm is an open city. In a way you're also defining what does openness really mean then?

Jane Cunningham 

Yes and also down to little things. because it's so open and accessible, nobody needs anybody else's help. You would never have to help a man with a buggy onto a bus because the bus comes down and you can go up into the bus. You don't. Everything is-- everything's looked after. So I feel like you lose a little bit of the community aspect that maybe you see more than the UK because people need to help each other with a buggy up and down stairs to get into the underground or whatever it may be. So life is set up in a fantastic way that everyone has access everywhere. But then again, you feel like people pass each other rather than connecting and I'm a fan of talking to strangers talking to different people like so. I have to say, I suppose a couple of the biggest things that I've taken from it is really understanding, going way back into the history of a city, and the culture that's been built up and over time how different cities like Vienna had to reinvent itself at a certain point. Also understanding the importance of a migrating community, of a diverse community, and what cities need to do to enable, I suppose, creativity within the city by connecting so many people. I think actually it was Glasgow, it said it's a connected and collaborative environment. That's what's made Glasgow I suppose so successful over the years and moving forward.

Greg Clark 

And so, you've sold us on Stockholm and Copenhagen. Do you have anything you want to say about the DNA of Edinburgh?

Jane Cunningham 

Oh gosh, well, Edinburgh is where my heart beats that little bit faster. That definitely feels like home. There's a warmth, I feel, in Edinburgh. People are extremely open, people are friendly. It's a small city. It's a historic city. It is a university-- fabulous university town, which gives it great energy. It's a seat of learning of all sorts of-- because of the number of universities and the history if you were ever to read the How Scots Invented the Modern World, you'll know that there's a lot of famous people from Edinburgh. But also the whole cultural and creative aspect of the Edinburgh Festival, the Fringe Festival. It's a pretty special place and built on seven hills and I miss the hills being in Stockholm. So yes, I'm drawn to Edinburgh often and will be going in a few days.

Greg Clark 

Okay, so now I'm going to ask you the killer question before you pack your bags for Edinburgh? Which cities then do you want us to feature in future series of the podcast and why?

Jane Cunningham 

I would love to see Stockholm featured. Certainly, we touched on this celebration of light, whether you have it or you don't have it, this harsh climate, the sustainable way things are built for long term, not just because 'we need a few new houses, let's just bang them up.' Things are built properly, that last. I think covering a landscape like Stockholm, which is quite harsh, and how has it been as successful as it is today. I would love to see that certainly.