A vision for the future of Reading in 2050 has been launched today (Wednesday) at the new Thames Lido.

The Reading 2050 Vision outlines an ambitious future for Reading, putting green technology, culture and diversity and Reading’s rivers and parks at the heart of its future development.

The vision looks ahead 33 years and has been led by Reading UK, design and planning consultancy Barton Willmore and the University of Reading.

A series of workshops, exhibitions and consultations has helped shape the vision.

Three core themes have been outlined; green tech, rivers and parks and culture and diversity. 

Organisers want Reading to be the UK's first 100 per cent renewable energy self-powered city and to be the UK's friendliest city by 2050.

Professor Tim Dixon, University of Reading, said: “Many cities in the UK and around the world are developing long term visions that reflect shared expectations about a sustainable future. A city vision helps us understand how we can work together and mobilise knowledge and resources to tackle longer term environmental change.

“The Reading 2050 vision is important because it is founded on the principle of both smart and sustainable thinking, taking us beyond short-term fixes, and looking at tangible, longer term solutions to the main socio-economic and environmental challenges Reading will face over the next 30 years and beyond.”

The interactive digital Reading 2050 Vision is available at www.reading2050.co.uk

Get involved at www.facebook.com/reading2050 or via Twitter at #reading2050. The University of Reading’s Reading 2050 public lecture series gets underway on 19 October – see www.reading.ac.uk/architecture