Cardiff is an amazing city to live in. Big, but not too big, full of incredible businesses and places to eat, home to world-renowned sport, beautiful parks and a long rich history.
The capital has been through a lot in 2020 and we can all admit Cardiff isn't perfect.
Here's 11 ways it could be improved in 2021.
Certainty on what's happening with Castle Street
One of the biggest visible changes to Cardiff during the last year has been to Castle Street. When the pandemic hit, restaurants in the capital normally used to welcoming customers inside their doors were struggling.
Cardiff council decided to open an al-fresco dining area on the once busy road in an effort to help. Although the measures worked during the summer months, it became less popular as the weather turned and it was dismantled in October.
In November the road was partially reopened to buses, taxis and emergency vehicles. But the decision to allow normal road traffic back has yet to be made and a public consultation is underway.
From day one the move was controversial, with the council recognising the closure "divided opinions", so any future decision is likely to cause further uproar. But some certainty on the busiest road through the capital will only be a good thing.
No more delays to the bus station
The ongoing saga of Cardiff's bus station isn't quite over.
We've been without one since 2015, and although work is finally making progress further delays were announced in September.
Developers said the bus station will now be completed at the end of 2022. Seven years is long enough to be without one, and passengers will be less than pleased if more delays are announced.
A revival of the city's hospitality
Bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants make Cardiff the city we love. But they've been hit hard during the pandemic, with many forced to close and others left devastated by last-minute restrictions.
What's in store for the industry in 2021 is yet to be seen and it may be a while off yet until the city's nightclubs are full of dancing revellers.
But whatever happens, a strong comeback is key to the city getting back on its feet.
Work to start on the canal planned for Cardiff city centre
Plans have been unveiled for the east of Cardiff’s city centre which would see an old canal reopened, redesigned main roads and a new public space.
If new plans go ahead, the canal underneath Churchill Way will reopen, four main roads will see new layouts, and a public square with an events space will be built.
Outdoor eating and events space is needed more than ever, and with work starting potentially as soon as summer 2021, it would be a welcome addition to the city centre.
Even more bike lanes
As anyone who's even ridden a bicycle through Cardiff will know, it can be daunting and sometimes outright dangerous. It's safe to say it's no Amsterdam.
Busy roads and buses mean it's not always pleasant getting around on two wheels, and we're a long way off from becoming like many other European cities.
In July, Cardiff council said two new bike lanes, crossing the city from east to west, would be created and work started in September.
But more could still be done. The council has talked about making Cardiff a greener place to live, and for cyclists, it can't come soon enough.
Sorting out student flats
The row over student flats in Cardiff isn't new. Critics have long said the city has more than enough and developers are only looking to make a quick buck.
In 2020 alone three big developments applied for a change of use to allow non-students to live in blocks built on the premise there were enough students to live in them.
The applications made were for a "temporary partial change in use", which's restricted for up to a year, or the following September from when the application was submitted.
Students bring a massive amount to the city, but it can't be allowed to become a home to empty blocks nobody wants.
Ambitious Cardiff Bay plans to become reality
Cardiff Bay has seen more development in recent decades than any other part of the city.
Not everyone has felt the benefits of the changes, and poor housing still remains an issue in large parts of the area.
Ambitious plans to transform Atlantic Wharf with more than 1,000 new homes, entertainment and cultural attractions, hotels, offices and a public square were revealed earlier in December.
Although progress on the plans in 2021 would be welcomed, all of the Cardiff Bay community needs to feel a part of the changes.
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Pollution levels to stay down
One of the benefits to the coronavirus lockdown has been the rapid drop of air pollution we're all breathing.
The level of nasty stuff we're inhaling in Cardiff dropped significantly in March and when 'normal life' returns this is one thing that can be left behind.
New businesses to replace the ones we've lost
It's always been tough running a restaurant or cafe, and talk of the death of the high street has been going on seemingly as long as they've been around.
But, again, coronavirus has made things even harder and across the city there's plenty of empty units once filled with businesses we loved.
Even Topshop confirmed it wouldn't be reopening its store on Queen Street once lockdown ends.
2021 needs to see fresh and exciting businesses move in.
Keeping our open space
Obviously by their nature cities have less green and open space than out in the countryside.
But that doesn't mean the people of Cardiff don't want or deserve to have open space that we can all use.
2020 saw plenty of rows, from the fury-inducing football pitch built in Canton popular with dog walkers to the questionable military museum in Cardiff Bay set to replace part of one of its last few open spaces.
Development is expected and often welcomed, but with less and less open space in the city what's left needs to be protected.
Major events to come back
From the Champions League Final to a Six Nations match, Cardiff knows how to host a major event.
But it's been a good while, for obvious reasons, since we've been able to show off this talent.
Gigs, football matches, Six Nations clashes have been sorely missed this year.
Let's hope they'll return for 2021.
What do you want to see happen in Cardiff in 2021? Leave your comments here.
