Southampton in an adventure with scientists | AbuBakr S Bahaj

By being the first UK council to appoint a chief scientific adviser, Southampton is giving its citizens a head start for the future

Cities in the UK are currently facing financial pressures, resulting in reductions in services, economic growth and in some instances social upheaval. New ways will need to be identified that will enable our cities and local authorities to overcome such financial hurdles and plan for growth through the improvement of living spaces, infrastructure and investment in new technologies fit for the 21st century.

Most cities have a local university, which encompasses knowledge and human resources that are under-utilised by local authorities. This will need to change so that the city and its university's resources can be coupled to achieve a step change in joined-up... [via Guardian - Politics]