So, the Bradford district now has a vision of what it should aim to be like in 20 years' time.

The 2020 Vision document unveiled by Bradford Congress yesterday sets out where the district should be going and some of the painful changes it will have to make to create a better future for all who live and work here.

Much of its content is very familiar: better schools, more jobs, better transport, cleaner streets, more tourism, better sport and leisure, better race relations.

They are all laudable aims although, with the possible exception of the last item, you could apply them to virtually every city and metropolitan district in the country. What matters most is that there is now a strategic framework on which public and private sectors and the community at large can hang their plans for the future.

There will be many people who feel they have not had a proper say in drawing up the Vision and many who disagree with some or all of its content and have what they believe are important ideas to add. The beauty of a vision statement, though, is that it doesn't preclude anything: it is merely a target to aim at.

What will make or break Bradford's vision is the way in which it is delivered and whether those in power can fulfil the promises it makes. In particular, Bradfordians will be wary of strengthened links with Leeds and whether our bigger and more powerful neighbour is willing and able to reciprocate Congress's faith in it. It's likely that, if by 2020 all the best jobs have gone to a booming, thriving Leeds and Bradford is left with a downmarket ghetto economy and third-rate shopping and housing, those who sold the dream will not be around to worry about it.

For the time being, though, we must all suspend our disbelief and buy into the overall vision. For the most part, it describes what we all want from our city and district and we must put our hope and faith in our ability to achieve it.

In particular, we must ensure that the underlying strategy designed to bring it about can produce the goods and we must tackle the issues therein with positivity - and, for once, allow the pride we all share in our city to force its way to the top and drive us all on to a better tomorrow.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.