CITY LIGHTS

n From tomorrow until Thursday dreams will be in the air at the SECC in Glasgow. You may not think Cities 98, the sixth annual conference examining urban management and strategy, is the stuff of dreams.

But just think about it. Exhibition organiser Jeremy Sale says it's all about ideal use of land and how the perfect city ought to be run.

In previous years the event, which is part exhibition, part talking shop, has visited London, Birmingham, and Sheffield.

This is Glasgow's first chance to play host, a role taken jointly by the city council and the development agency.

Last year John Prescott turned up, hopefully to listen and learn, and this year Donald Dewar will be the star Government guest.

The hope is that after all the 60 or so experts have had their say and explained how the dream of a beautifully organised, people-friendly, unpolluted city might become reality, summaries of their conclusions will be made available to the folk who actually run our cities.

Maybe just a little of it will rub off on them. But don't hold your breath.