Research | Centre for Cities

Ben Harrison

This report considers the existing delivery arrangements currently available to local authorities, and asks whether new delivery vehicles – such as Local Asset-Backed Vehicles (LABVs) – are needed to lever in the resources and skills required to deliver local growth. It is part of the joint City Solutions project undertaken by Centre for Cities and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

London’s Links: Who Benefits From London’s Success?

Centre for Cities

There is no doubt that London plays an important role in the UK economy, and has been a key driver of economic growth. But how much of London’s recent economic growth spills out to other parts of the UK?

Time to show we mean business

Centre for Cities

SBR should be a stepping stone to greater financial devolution. But more radical changes to the local financial tool-kit will depend on SBR’s success, so it’s important to get the policy right. A permissive framework, with clear minimum standards, legal safeguards for businesses, and the option to hold a local vote, is the only way to build on the emerging consensus between business and local authorities. Otherwise, England’s cities and towns could miss a golden opportunity to lay the foundations for future economic growth.

city solutions: financing local growth

Ben Harrison

Supplementary Business Rates (SBRs) have recently been proposed as a mechanism to allow cities to generate additional funds for infrastructure investment. This paper presents new analysis that illustrates their possible contribution and the main challenges that must be tackled by city leaders, business and central government if SBRs are to finance local growth. It is part of the joint City Solutions project undertaken by Centre for Cities and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

OECD review of Newcastle in the North East: one year on

Following the OECD Review of Newcastle in the North East (July 2006), Newcastle City Council commissioned the Centre for Cities and IPPR North to produce a follow-up, independent assessment of progress made over the past year.

Two-track cities: The challenge of sustaining growth and building opportunity

Centre for Cities

This paper suggests that UK cities face a number of significant challenges in the years ahead. We have two-track cities those that have experienced success and renaissance in recent years, and those that have not. All cities still face the challenge of sharing opportunity and have concentrations of deprivation and worklessness. Those cities that have experienced high levels of economic growth face a number of challenges relating to sustaining growth such as congestion and environmental degradation.

What role do cities play in innovation, and to what extent do we need city-based innovation policies and approaches?

This report presents interim findings from the research project on innovation in cities that the Centre for Cities is conducting for NESTA and reveals that innovation is concentrated in a number of cities and urban areas in the UK, although there are some innovation poor as well as innovation rich cities.

Connecting Cities: Local transport, economic connectivity, and economic growth

Edward Clarke

Connecting Cities reflects the views of local stakeholders in five of England's regional cities, where local transport has been the subject of intense debate in recent months. The report is based on a series of five seminars - and brings together a range of messages for national decision-makers.

Giving cities more power over their economic destinies

Centre for Cities

This article is taken from a new book on devolution from the Smith Institute, edited by Geoff Mulgan and Fran Bury of the Young Foundation. In it, Dermot Finch argues for bold steps towards differential financial devolution, with more powers for our biggest city-regions.

The Route to Growth: Transport, density and productivity

Centre for Cities

This paper gives policymakers and city leaders a brief and accessible guide to the economic theory behind agglomeration economies the wider economic benefits generated when people and businesses locate close to each other. It also explains the critical role this concept is playing in current transport policy debates.

Publications