City Plan
The City Plan is the Sunderland Partnership's overarching strategic plan for the period to 2035. It provides the blueprint for all partners and communities to work together to pursue and achieve the shared vision, ambitions and underpinning commitments for Sunderland. Ambitions include ensuring:
- Everyone's talent is nurtured - our children and young people are achieving the best outcomes, everyone is connected to opportunities, and whatever your aspiration, you can achieve it in Sunderland
- Inward investment, job creation and high performing businesses and employers create opportunities for all residents of the city, with Sunderland making a significant contribution to the UK's economic growth
- People live healthier, longer lives - health and wellbeing outcomes are significantly improved and life is better because we live in Sunderland, rather than any other place
- Sunderland is a place recognised for its natural assets; the city has an accessible, strong and growing offer for residents and visitors - it's easy to find something that captures the imagination in Sunderland
- Our people and communities thrive and feel proud, and are stronger together; everyone is playing their part
- Sunderland will play its role in tackling the global challenge of climate change, working together across the city to be carbon neutral by 2040
In working to deliver on these ambitions, the City Plan is focussed on our bold and ambitious vision to create a connected, international city with opportunities for all. To achieve this, the City Plan has three themes:
- Sunderland will be a Dynamic Smart City with more businesses, housing and cultural opportunities creating a stronger city centre. Children and young people will have equitable opportunities and the best life chances with poverty and its impacts significantly reduced. More city residents will have great skills and qualifications sought by employers, and there will be increased employment in more jobs that are fulfilling and better compensated. It will have great digital technology supporting a low carbon city, with great transport links with low carbon and active travel opportunities for everyone
- It will be a Healthy Smart City where more people live healthier, longer lives as health inequality gaps are reduced. It will be a clean and attractive city where people feel safe in their communities and all neighbourhoods. There will be more and better housing and great support and social care that enables those who need it to live the life they want to lead; and
- It will be a Vibrant Smart City with more resilient residents and cohesive, inclusive communities in the face of ongoing challenges including the cost-of living crisis. More people will visit Sunderland with more residents shaping and participating in cultural or sporting events. There will be a strong sense of pride amongst residents and communities will feel engaged in shaping Sunderland's future and the opportunities being created. More residents will be active and participating in their communities
The city's people and communities are at the heart of the City Plan, which continues to be delivered at pace with significant investment and developments underway, and more to come.
An important element of the City Plan is the accompanying Indicative Timeline, as it provides a flavour of what we are doing to deliver the plan and achieve our vision to create a connected, international city with opportunities for all. The timeline shows key projects that are currently underway and those planned in subsequent years.
The City Plan is our sole strategic plan for the period 2025 to 2035. Progress is managed through the Corporate Performance Management arrangements including the quarterly Corporate Performance Reports to Cabinet.
In line with the council's, and our partners' approach to carbon reduction and cost saving, the City Plan is published electronically only.
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