A new initiative to drive the development of new spaces and places that sustainably boost employment, improve tourism and cultural infrastructure, deliver homes and support community and neighbourhood regeneration has been announced, with the redefinition of the Belfast City Region.

Chaired by Joe O'Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour, the new Belfast City & Region Place Partnership will focus on collaboration of all stakeholders across the region.

Speaking at an event in the City Quays 3 development in Belfast Harbour where over 100 business leaders and representatives from across the city region attended the partnership's launch, Mr O'Neill said: "This is a time of unique possibility for this great city and wider city region. The coming together of these partners in a commitment to creating spaces and places where people want to invest, live, study, work and visit cannot be underestimated.

"With collaboration stronger than ever before, we must be unashamedly ambitious for our city region and work together to keep bringing our story across the globe and to the right audiences, highlighting the very best that we have to offer."

The initiative has gained further momentum as Belfast City Council embarks on the search for a seasoned, long-term partner to aid in delivering over half a billion pounds worth of multi-site, residential-led, mixed-use developments across the city.

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Mr O'Neill continued: "We're already witnessing growing confidence in the Belfast region, exemplified by transformative projects such as the new Ulster University campus, the development of Belfast Grand Central, which is soon to be Ireland's largest transport hub, and the wider Weavers Cross development; the groundbreaking £150m investment by Legal & General in new homes at Titanic Quarter, and the initiation of the first Belfast Region City Deal projects, including Belfast Stories, the redevelopment of Bangor Waterfront, regeneration of Newry city centre and Studio Ulster.

"The recent NI Investment Summit, which saw more than 100 investors and businesses from around the globe descend upon Northern Ireland, coupled with US President Joe Biden and his Economic Envoy Joe Kennedy III pledging their commitment to peace and the pursuit of inclusive prosperity, underscores the wealth of opportunities that are within our grasp."

Councillor Clíodhna Nic Bhranair, Chair of City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Belfast City Council, said: "This partnership will promote and market the Belfast region to an international audience, supporting the delivery of the Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment by attracting collaborative partners and ensuring Belfast is positioned to continue to attract investment to underpin regeneration, development and infrastructure activities in the city and wider city region.

"Our shared ambition is to drive inclusive, sustainable growth, with a renewed focus on welcoming an additional 66,000 new residents to Belfast by 2035, as outlined in our community plan, The Belfast Agenda. To achieve this ambitious goal, an estimated 31,600 quality new homes will be required.

"We're passionate about creating a more vibrant, more inclusive and more liveable city, while enhancing quality of life for all our citizens. Investment in quality homes, placemaking, connectivity and social infrastructure lies at the heart of that vision, which emphasises the importance of initiatives like the Belfast City & Region Place Partnership."

Organisations that constitute the Belfast City & Region Place Partnership include the Belfast Region City Deal authorities, Invest NI, Queen's University Belfast, Arup, Avison Young, Belfast Harbour, Carson McDowell, ICW, Kainos, KPMG, Lacuna Developments, MRP, Silverwood, Titanic Quarter, Translink and Tughans.