Residents and experts unite to help shape the future of York city centre
A new blueprint for an inclusive, sustainable York city centre came under the spotlight at an event presented as part of York Festival of Ideas.
Councillor Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture at City of York Council, was joined by an expert panel of architects and community advocates at The Guildhall (Thursday 4 June) for ‘Change is Coming: A new vision for York’.
The free Festival event was presented in partnership with City of York Council and supported by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. It featured expert speakers including Shamim Eimaan, Director of Cultural Connections York CIC; Professor Lorraine Farrelly, Head of the York School of Architecture at the University of York; Stefanie Stead, a Director at Stead & Co Architects; and was chaired by Charlotte Harrison, a founding partner at Mass Architecture.
The panel debate took place at a pivotal moment for York as it seeks to meet the challenges of rising costs and environmental pressures and embrace a unique opportunity to harness its heritage, creativity and vibrant communities. The panel responded to questions around how our public spaces can work better for us all, with accessibility, affordability and community cohesion emerging as strong themes.
Over a hundred local people took part in the session, many sharing their own visions for York’s future mapping through a Q&A session and informal chat afterwards.
Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for the Economy, said: “It was inspiring to see more than a hundred residents come together to talk about the future of our city. People care deeply about how York’s public spaces can work better for everyone. Today’s questions showed exactly that, from how we involve young people in shaping the places they use every day, to how we design spaces that can withstand a changing climate, to how genuinely affordable homes can help local people live in and enjoy the heart of our city.
“What came through clearly is that York wants a city with places where communities can come together and thrive. There are lots of exciting projects already underway across the city and as a council, we’re committed to working with residents, businesses and partners and to make sure the decisions we take create a city that future generations can be proud of.”
Joan Concannon, Director of York Festival of Ideas, added: “We are delighted to partner with City of York Council and local architectural leaders for this vital discussion. A core aim of the Festival is to encourage inclusive dialogue and to give our audiences a voice in important decisions being taken about all our futures.
“We are therefore proud to help bring civic leadership, expert designers, grassroots community advocates and members of the local community into the same room to help ensure that the future design of York city centre is a shared, collective endeavour.”
One of the largest free festivals of its kind in the UK, York Festival of Ideas is taking place from 30 May to 12 June 2026. Under this year's theme, ‘Place and Space’, key Festival Focus sessions are tackling some of York's biggest opportunities and challenges. As well as ‘Change is Coming: A new vision for York’ other highlights include an exploration of regional growth (‘Our Future, Our North: Building jobs and prosperity’ on 10 June), wealth distribution (‘Mapping Wealth, Ownership and Place’ on 12 June), and sustainable urban development (‘From Brownfield to Blue Sky’ on 4 June).
The 2026 York Festival of Ideas is made possible by the support of organisations including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, LNER, Yorkshire Water, York Central, the Morrell Centre for Legal and Political Philosophy and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
‘Change is Coming: A new vision for York’ took place at The Guildhall on Thursday 4 June.
Further information about York Festival of Ideas can be found at yorkfestivalofideas.com