A year ago, Perth regained its status as a city.
While some tangible benefits of the accolade have already been seen, Provost Liz Grant says that Perth must “think like a city, rather than a town”.
Provost Grant is determined to build on a remarkable 12 months and ensure the long fight for city status does not go to waste.
Speaking exclusively to The Courier on the eve of the first anniversary of the award, she said: “The real benefits will come in the medium to long term.
“But there has been a huge amount of work going on in economic development and the events group to heighten the economic benefits, and city status has helped enormously with that.
“It’s beginning to attract businesses into the city. There are new shops in the St John’s Centre and there are plans for a hotel in Mill Street.
“We are in the Scottish Cities Alliance between the seven Scottish cities and that brings money to bid for, which allows us to plan to improve the city centre.
“We have had a success with the £1 million bid for superfast broadband, which we couldn’t have got without city status, and we have had £650,000 heritage funding.
“That’s how we’ve directly benefited already from being a city and that will be supplemented by additional funding made available by the council.
“We’re hoping, by being part of the Scottish Cities Alliance, we will be able to bring high-value companies and jobs to Perth and Scotland.”
Mrs Grant has been in the provost’s office less than 10 months, but said that opening period has given civic leaders a solid platform to build on.
She said: “In my first six weeks we had the diamond jubilee and the Kilt Run and all the mayors from our twins across Europe and Canada visited.
“Then we had the Olympic torch relay and then the Queen’s visit to confer city status on us. It was a very, very busy year, but we showed people are very happy to have city status and the events we brought.
“We then carried that on, so it didn’t go quiet after summer, so we revamped the Christmas event and attracted 10,000 people to Perth in November.
“The businesses were packed out with people all day and we hope to build on that every year. There were a few minor issues, but we will learn from them.
“The key is increasing footfall so restaurants and cafes are full and there is a knock-on for retail as well and we are absolutely committed to doing that.
She went on: “We have to build on it every year and this year we are looking to start with a celebration of the Indian festival of Diwali, because we have ethnic minorities in Perth who contribute a lot, and keep going right through to the Chinese New Year.”
The success of the Christmas lights has convinced the provost that a year-round lighting strategy is needed to bring the Fair City to life at night.
She said: “The city isn’t dead the rest of the year there’s a lot going on.
“We are a great small European city, a medieval city, with a perfect situation right beside the Tay, and we need to make more of that.
“Looking ahead, the Kilt Run is returning this year and we are working closely with the Ryder Cup organisers and the people behind the Junior Ryder Cup, which is to be held in Blairgowrie.
“It is also the Year of Homecoming and Commonwealth Games in 2014, so there will be thousands of visitors to Scotland and we have to make sure as many as possible come to Perth, Perthshire and Kinross-shire.”