Another year is nearly up and a lot has changed in Cardiff in 2023. From the opening of new restaurants, bars, and clubs to megastars performing at huge gigs and sporting events, life continues to move quickly in the capital and it's easy to get caught up in it all.
But while it continues to be a great place to live and work there is still a lot of room for improvement in a number of areas across the city from problems with crime and vandalism to delayed building works and transport issues Here are 10 things that we need to see happen in Cardiff in 2023.
An end to the city's vandalism problem
Nothing has made me more disheartened over the past 12 months than the spate of vandalism incidents that have happened across Cardiff. Whether it's the Snoopy statues that were smashed up within 48 hours of being placed in spots around the city, the hundreds of Nextbikes that were snapped in half, burnt, and thrown in rivers, the rugby posts that were torn down, or the Japanese cherry trees that were mindlessly destroyed just weeks after being planted, these acts of vandalism are an absolute disgrace and should embarrass everyone who loves Cardiff.
While I cover many wonderful things that happen across the capital in my job things have got to the point where when something nice happens in Cardiff I'm bracing myself for it to be ruined within days. We live in a beautiful city and we deserve nice things like stunning art trails and gorgeous plants to make it even better. We shouldn't have to have things locked up or taken away from us like we're naughty children.
Solutions have been put forward, such as an increased police presence in parks, but I'm sceptical about what this will achieve in the long-run. For me it's a matter of respect – we need to treat the city as it deserves to be treated and the small minority responsible for these cowardly acts need to grow up.
Sensible futures for empty commercial units
In the wake of the pandemic some of Cardiff's shopping streets have frankly looked miserable with empty units everywhere you look. An extremely torrid time for retail and hospitality during the coronavirus pandemic forced a number of traders across the city to close down for good with streets like Queen Street and St Mary Street looking noticeably bare as life began to get back to normal when restrictions were lifted.
These units needed sensible new occupants that would bring people back to the high street and restore the city centre to its former bustling self. There have been some smart additions to the capital, with St David's shopping centre welcoming five new shops in time for Christmas, while the long-struggling Capitol centre is set to be transformed by the new 14,500 sq ft food hall Kommune.
But Queen Street risks never recovering from the impact of the pandemic if it repeats the massive mistake that was 15:17, the supposed "department store with a difference" that took over the huge unit where Topshop stood for more than a decade. The store, which also had an in-store café, Fresh, Local & Wild, was an unmitigated disaster, with the top two floors left empty just months after opening and the company going into liquidation within a year leaving the unit vacant once again.
It was obvious to many that there was no way the store would stick around for long and I'm not convinced that luxury fashion outlet Flannels will be any more successful in bringing in much-needed crowds to the huge premium unit. I hope that I'm proved wrong as without the right businesses moving in Queen Street will continue to look bare for months and years to come.
More new nightlife venues
Cardiff has long been famous for its pubs, clubs, and bars with people travelling from all over the country and beyond for a night out in the capital. But in recent years it has felt like the city's nightlife offerings have grown a bit stale. The classic hotspots still deliver, of course, and it's never a bad night out if it ends on Caroline Street, but seemed for a while that there were hardly any new, exciting venues to try out.
The past year, however, brought with it a number of improvements to Cardiff's nightlife. The bustling St Mary Street has been bolstered by the addition of Gareth Bale's mini golf venue Par 59 as well as the newly-opened Proud Mary Pub, which replaced the tired-looking Yard Bar & Kitchen in the Brewery Quarter. The company behind Proud Mary has also enjoyed success with its first venture in the city, Heidi's Bier Bar, which opened earlier in 2022 and has quickly become one of the go-to spots in the city, having replaced Soda bar in Mill Lane.
That's not to mention the glamorous new cocktail bar Tonight Josephine and 'social darts' venue Flight Club, which recently opened in the neighbouring High Street. Each of these venues has provided the city of a thousand pubs with something a little bit different – long may it continue.
A strategy for dealing with big events
Oh, how good would it have been for Cardiff to host Eurovision in 2023? On paper the city was the ideal choice to hold the singing contest on behalf of the people of Ukraine, having held some of the world's biggest sporting events – including the Rugby World Cup and Champions League final – as well as Wales being the land of song. But in reality, it's not surprising that we pulled out of the race to host, as the Principality Stadium wasn't available on that date.
But even if it had gone ahead, we already know what would have likely to happen. There would have been massive queues on the M4 and spiralling prices for hotels. As events held in the capital during 2022 showed, while the city ticks every box in terms of atmosphere and warmth, it is let down badly by transport issues and a lack of hotel rooms.
Ed Sheeran held the biggest ever gig in Wales during a three-night stint at the Principality Stadium earlier this year but the concert saw estimates of 15 miles of tailbacks with the thousands of people coming to Wales stuck in traffic jams on the M4. Some people missed the concert due to the delays and issues were reported for those who used public transport.
Additionally Cardiff only has around 5,500 hotel rooms – a fraction of the number needed for a sell-out event at the Principality Stadium. When the Champions League final came to town in 2017 it only had 4,000, compared to the 76,000 that previous host city Paris had.
Neither of these are quick, easy, or inexpensive things to fix and there are plans for increased transport capacity through the Metro and Crossrail as well as a 17,000 capacity arena in Cardiff Bay with hundreds of new hotel spaces also being added to the city. Those developments are still years off being finished, however, and so strong short-term solutions must be devised in the meantime. Without these Cardiff will continue to miss out.
A change in rugby matchday culture
There's nowhere like Cardiff on a matchday. Whether it's the Six Nations or the Autumn internationals, the city comes alive when the rugby is on with a sea of red descending on its many bars and pubs before filling the Principality Stadium with good cheer and deafening song.
At least that's how it used to be. Having moved to the capital six years ago I've noticed a drastic change in matchday culture with games becoming far less about the actual rugby and more about getting absolutely hammered.
There's nothing wrong with having a drink or two, of course, and there aren't many of us who can proudly hold our hands up and say that we've never taken it too far on occasions. But making these games – no matter how disappointing recent results have been – more about getting drunk than anything else is just really depressing.
It's not all fans, obviously, but the actions of an increasing number of those in the stands have become more of a talking point than the action on the field in recent games, from drunk supporters vomiting on children to others running on the pitch for the sake of a £20 bet. These disgraceful scenes don't just ruin it for those that are there to watch the game, some of those there for the first time, but they embarrass Wales as a whole. I'm not sure what the best solution is, admittedly, but if fans are being turned away for failing breathalyser tests there needs to be a complete culture shift. As journalist and author Carolyn Hitt put it previously there's a big difference between atmosphere and atmos-fear.
Finish the bus station
It's been a long time coming to say the least. Seven years, in fact, with Cardiff without a bus station since 2015. For a capital city that is absolutely ridiculous.
Of course there were delays to the construction of the new bus station, which overlooks Central Square, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic but residents like me who use coaches and buses regularly have lost patience with how long it has taken to get the project done. The building has finally started to take shape throughout the year and thankfully, according to Transport for Wales, the new station is expected to open in summer 2023. At this point there simply cannot be any more delays.
Something, anything, in Central Square
While we're focusing on this part of Cardiff something urgently needs to be done to brighten up the newly-developed Central Square, which has justifiably been branded a "concrete wasteland" by the city's residents. The square, which has been transformed beyond recognition in recent years, was intended to be a "new gateway to the capital of Wales" – the first thing visitors to the city lay their eyes on as they emerge from Cardiff Central train station.
On a sunny day it's a place full of life with commuters scurrying about, people enjoying lunch outside, and skateboarders displaying their tricks – but on a winter's day it's hard to feel anything but gloomy looking across the grey, barren flagstones. There needs to be something, anything to fill the space (as long as it's not this uninspiring Christmas tree). Artwork, plants and flowers, flags, even pop-up stalls and entertainers would help to inject the square with some much-needed colour and life.
A welcome addition to the area was the fabulous statue of Betty Campbell. With so many talented entertainers, athletes, and academics hailing from Wales why not another sculpture celebrating the very best of Welsh art and culture?
A solution to the rental market crisis
Admittedly this is not just a Cardiff issue – the rental market across the UK is absolutely nuts. Landlords in the city say recent rule changes are driving up rent and harming tenants desperately looking for accommodation with student groups also claiming that there is not enough housing to meet growing demand.
New regulations are also said by lettings agents to be causing a 'supply crisis' across the city with properties on the market at higher rents than ever before. Between 100 and 150 people are fighting to secure every home listed.
I'm no expert and it would take me a long time to come up with a clear black and white plan on how to solve this massive issue. There is hope, however, that the new Renting Homes (Wales) Act, which came into full force on December 1, will create meaningful change and make things simpler and fairer for contract-holders and landlord. Whether this will be the case or not remains to be seen – but something needs to change as the current situation is beyond ridiculous.
Cleaner streets
Let's face it – Cardiff's streets are pretty grim. In fact, I can't remember the last time I walked along a road in the city and saw fewer than 10 pieces of litter. I can recall, however, the last time I saw someone mindlessly throw their rubbish on the floor with a bin less than a few yards away.
It's unbelievably frustrating to see – not just for residents but especially for the selfless heroes who dedicate their spare time to pick up rubbish and keep their communities clean. With littering becoming the norm and streets flooded with crisp packets, plastic bottles, and food waste within hours of community litter picks taking place these groups are at breaking point and are quite rightly asking: 'Why should we bother?'
It's easy to point the finger at the council but in fairness they are doing the best they can with limited resources. Demand for their services has soared in recent years with the local authority receiving nearly 50,000 requests for their bulky waste collections in 2021.
There is still so much we can do as individuals to keep our city clean – whether that's using community recycling zones or simply just being more considerate with what we do with our rubbish. There is so much community pride in many areas of the capital but we all need to do our bit to make a difference.
More murals and public art
They're not for everyone, granted. But I love the murals that have popped up around the city in the last few years. Cardiff is blessed with many stunning old buildings and open spaces but plenty of others have huge bare walls – blank canvases just crying out for a splash of colour.
The now-iconic My City, My Shirt murals in Quay Street in the city centre and James Street in Butetown are great examples of the value of more public artwork – as is the stunning tribute to the late, great Gary Speed near Cardiff City stadium. They add character and bring the duller areas of the city to life – I for one would like to see more appear across Cardiff in 2023.
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