Smarter Growth

  • No Strategy for Oxfordshire?

    Councillors must explain the alternative

    11 August 2022

    Oxford Civic Society is extremely concerned that the Oxfordshire 2050 Strategic Plan has been abandoned after the different councils failed to agree a common approach. The Society is calling for a full, clear and public response from the five councils involved as to what happens now. Ian Green, chair of OCS, said (6 August 2022):…

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  • Decision time on growth

    A guide

    17 July 2022

    If you are trying to understand all the plans and strategies for our city and county but are too confused by how they relate to each other to marshal your thoughts, you are not alone! There’s the Oxfordshire Vision, the Oxfordshire Local Industrial Strategy, the Pathways to a Zero Carbon Oxfordshire, the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy,…

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  • Oxfordshire Futures 2050

    Snowflake towns and an Oxford Metro

    8 February 2019

    This new report considers how central Oxfordshire should respond to the pressures for new housing. It recommends that development should be concentrated around existing and new stations in Central Oxfordshire and Oxford, including the re-opened Cowley branch, and on the 200 acres of under-used land around a rebuilt central Oxford railway station.

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  • Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal

    We support Oxford City's agreement to the Government's funding offer

    8 February 2018

    Oxford Civic Society welcomes the Government’s offer of an additional £215m of funding for the preparation of a strategic development plan for the county, to facilitate the provision of affordable housing, and to enable associated infrastructure development.

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  • Can Oxford learn from Cambridge’s growth success?

    23 May 2017

    This article summarises the findings of an Oxford Civic Society study group which visited Cambridge in spring 2016 to find out what Oxford could learn about planning and development.The group concluded that Cambridge’s success story has much to teach us – about the role of local government, the contribution of the university and the dedication…

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  • Growing Historic Cities – a Symposium

    12 January 2017

    A packed symposium in Oxford’s Kellogg College drew members of the Historic Towns Forum ranging from St Albans to Wells and York, together with a large contingent from Oxford. The aim was to learn from success, and to debate the principles that would lead to sustainable or ‘smarter growth’ that does not outstrip infrastructure capacity….

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