I’ve heard Aberdonians compare their city unfavourably with Dundee’s progress in recent years.

I was in the Granite City last week, and the former glories of Union Street are long gone, while Union Terrace Gardens looked unkempt and unloved.

Aberdeen’s main thoroughfare is tired and far removed from the swanky and bustling boulevard of yesteryear.

But although Dundee has made great progress in recent times, a great deal remains to be done to reinvigorate the city.

I had a long conversation with a friend who is well qualified in planning and design recently, and some of the ideas and suggestions about how to rekindle life in Dundee city centre made solid sense.

We need to get more people back living in the centre for starters, but it won’t be easy and will require serious strategy and investment.

Something that always struck me on my travels covering football with the BBC was how populated the European cities we stayed in were in their inner areas.

In comparison, Dundee is like a ghost town at night.

The first thing we need to do is to find a way to convert empty shop units and spaces into desirable living accommodation to attract folk of all ages who would like to live more........

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