The Liveable City - A Danish-British Dialogue in Manchester is an exhibition and seminar series taking place from 20-27 November 2014 at the Manchester School of Architecture and its open to anyone (i.e. not just architects) across the city region who wants to see a beautiful, resilient and healthy future city. 

The challenge of creating beautiful cities with a more resilient economy, healthier residents and a better quality of life for everyone will be discussed by Danish and British architects and decision makers throughout the week. the series of seminars will look at ways that planners, architects and local communities can play their part in the development of a dynamic, liveable city.

The programme is the result of a partnership between the Manchester School of Architecture, RIBA North West and other local partners, as well as the Danish Embassy in the UK.

Alongside the seminars an exhibition at the Manchester School of Architecture will be showing some of the highlights of contemporary Danish architecture

Alongside the seminars an exhibition at the Manchester School of Architecture will be showing some of the highlights of contemporary Danish architecture giving a unique insight into the core values that Danish architecture embodies: a green, environmentally sustainable profile and an empathetic and democratic approach, in which good design and great architecture are not reserved for the elite.

"It is important for us to engage in partnerships and co-operations all over Britain, keeping in mind that there is more to the UK than London. In terms of size Manchester is comparable to Copenhagen, Denmark's largest and very liveable city," according to Claus Grube, the Danish Ambassador. 

Head of Manchester School of Architecture, Professor Tom Jefferies says that the RIBA Stirling Prize nominated School of Art building is an obvious choice as venue for the conference, which looks at international best practice.

With the debate around Northern cities, a Northern ‘creative powerhouse’, and even devolution gathering pace, it was natural for this conference to be located in the city of Manchester

“With the debate around Northern cities, a Northern ‘creative powerhouse’, and even devolution gathering pace, it was natural for this conference to be located in the city of Manchester, with its population bigger than Northern Ireland and economy larger than Wales,” he said.

Seminar series

Alongside the week long exhibition at the School of Architecture, a wide ranging set of seminars are being staged with an impressive range of speakers, covering topics ranging from urban visions, to cycling, to water use, to the importance of civic squares.

Speakers include leading figures from British and Danish architecture firms as well as city leaders, mobility experts and urban planners. Highlights include:

• Simon Kjær Hansen, Copenhagen Municipality, Centre for Urban Planning (Urban Planning, Thurs 20)
• Riccardo Marini (who is not Danish…), Gehl Architects, (Urban Planning, Thurs 20)
• Klaus Bondam, Danish Cyclists’ Federation (Civilised Cycling, Thurs 20)
• Rune Veile from BCVA (Mending Modernist Mistakes, Tues 25)
• Flemming Rafn Thomsen from Tredje Natur (Water, Water Everywhere, Wed 26)

To see the full range of seminars and to book, click here.

Main image credit: Simone Ridyard; inline image of Copenhagen courtesy of the Danish Embassy