articles & blogs 2010

New approach is needed to revive our cities

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 16/12/2010
Author: Alexandra Jones

In a week in which a very tough financial settlement was announced, it is clear that the approach to physical regeneration needs to change. So the question is: can cities 'build' an economic recovery?

New blood through the arteries

Publication: The House
Date: 15/11/2010
Author: Lena Tochtermann

Devolved decision-making for transport can stimulate growth in our cities, but only if cities are given real power over transport delivery.

Help cities out by relocalising business rates

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 04/11/2010
Author: Alexandra Jones

It has been a whirlwind fortnight for cities. Two weeks ago, the scale of the challenge facing each city was unveiled in the spending review and even accompanying freedoms will be bittersweet.

No CSR magic bullet on jobs

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 21/10/2010
Author: Paul Swinney

Central Government has devolved some responsibility – it’s now up to local policymakers to use it to make the right decisions to support the future economic growth of their cities.

What will life be like after RDAs?

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 11/10/2010
Author: Claire Maugham

Local enterprise partnerships have the potential to reflect the real needs of local people and businesses but might we end up with too many small and ineffective bodies?

Parties can let cities find the path to economic recovery

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 05/10/2010
Author: Alexandra Jones

The challenge ahead for all the parties is to address the economic concerns of the urban residents in Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Doncaster and across the UK.

Cameron and Clegg need stamina for ’ideas sex’ to bear fruit

Publication: Property Week
Date: 06/08/2010
Author: Nigel Hugill

Good decision making is necessarily pragmatic, untidy and involving. The electorate has to be the best ultimate judge of what is good for them, even when it comes to the built environment.

Paul Swinney presents 'Private Sector Cities'

Date: 30/07/2010

Paul Swinney presents the main findings of Private Sector Cities, which he co-authored with Chris Webber.

Low-cost approach

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 26/07/2010
Author: Dermot Finch

Limited cash and uneven private sector growth will make rebalancing the economy tough. The Government will need to invest in success, rather than try to smooth business formation nationwide.

Three vital steps in the right direction

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 15/07/2010
Author: Dermot Finch

There is substance to the "localism, localism, localism" mantra. But to be truly transformational, localism needs to connect with the economic recovery agenda.

Nigel Hugill: Interview in Regeneration and Renewal

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 12/07/2010

Now is the time for cities to take the initiative and show government how devolution of greater powers might work - Nigel Hugill speaks to R&R.

Regions after RDAs

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 01/07/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

The state of the government’s finances means that LEPs are going to be a no-frills version of the economic policy of the past decade. But does this necessarily mean cities will be short-changed?

Localism may deliver the flexibility cities need to tackle worklessness

Publication: New Start
Date: 01/07/2010
Author: Paul Swinney

Unemployment figures provided a rare glimmer of light in the gloom of the recession, but there are still long-term problems in our cities.

Relocation, relocation

Date: 29/06/2010
Author: Chris Webber

Not all places are able to provide enough jobs for the people living in them. Even before the recession, 4 to 5 JSA claimants were chasing every single vacancy in places like Hastings, Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

Why Preston can pull us out of this slump

Publication: Lancashire Evening Post
Date: 15/06/2010
Author: Paul Swinney

Cities need to generate private sector jobs, but some places, such as Preston, are in a much better position to do this.

It’s vital to invest in cities

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 10/06/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

With spending cuts looming large, cities are particularly concerned about the impact that cuts will have on capital investment.

Cameron’s cuts: cities take the pain

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 07/06/2010
Author: Paul Swinney

Cities in England need to generate private sector jobs. But some places are in a much better position to do this than others.

Thinktank recommends economic strategy for Blackburn

Publication: Blackburn Town Centre
Date: 07/06/2010
Author: Chris Webber

City economies with a tougher outlook – such as Blackburn – still need intensive government support.

Urban Vote 2010: The new urban political landscape

Date: 28/05/2010
Author: Claire Maugham

The economy is the most important issue for urban voters, and support for the political parties is closely linked to how well they have addressed local concerns over economic issues.

Mack the knife

Date: 25/05/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

The Government has announced details of the £6 billion of cuts that it will make in this financial year. But what does this first taste of austerity mean for the UK's cities?

Good news on regions but coalition needs to go further

Publication: Left Foot Forward
Date: 22/05/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

The coalition agreement, released on Thursday, confirmed that the Government will take forward the Conservative's manifesto commitment to scrap RDAs.

The coalition programme: highlights for cities

Date: 20/05/2010
Author: Chris Webber

The new coalition's programme for government was released today. While there is a lot of good news for local authorities in the plans, it's clear that the new government still has a lot of thinking to do.

Local councils provide lesson on working together

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 12/05/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

Missed by many in the confusion following the hung Parliament served up by the general election, there is also an important story to tell from the local election results, particularly in the UK's major cities.

Contracting cities need to find ideal size

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 04/05/2010
Author: Dermot Finch

Urban populations can go down as well as up, just like house prices and shares. Few city leaders want their population to shrink - but sometimes a city has to confront the reality of shrinkage, and how to manage it.

Little things can make a big difference

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 01/05/2010
Author: Lena Tochtermann

Small-scale and carefully targeted investment may be the best way to support improvements in urban transport, says Lena Tochtermann

Centre for Cities: 5 years on

Date: 13/04/2010

As Centre for Cities marks the end of its fifth year, Tom Bloxham talks to R&R about some of the Centre's achievements since its launch in 2005.

Labour Manifesto includes Metro Mayors

Date: 12/04/2010

It's good to see plans for mayors with London-style powers across England's largest city regions. We've been calling for ‘metro mayors' over the past five years - Dermot Finch responds to Labour's Manifesto

Regeneration & Renewal interview: Tom Bloxham

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 08/04/2010

Tom Bloxham talks to Regeneration & Renewal about Urban Splash and his work as Chair of Centre for Cities

Are we building houses in the right places?

Date: 29/03/2010
Author: Tom Aldred

The UK's housing problem has become an economic problem. Dermot Finch talks to Tom Aldred about the main findings of his latest report - Arrested Development

Tapping homes growth

Publication: Planning
Date: 26/03/2010
Author: Tom Aldred

Greater rewards for councils are necessary to ensure that homes are built in the areas that are best placed to encourage essential economic growth.

A Budget for homes?

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 25/03/2010
Author: Tom Aldred

Trying to funnel the majority of new housing onto brownfield has starved the market of land, meaning that less land was converted to housing use in 2007 than in 1995, despite prices rising by over 250%. Tom Aldred argues that the time has come to drop the national brownfield target.

Public sector relocations

Date: 23/03/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

Public sector relocations can have a positive impact. But relocations have high upfront costs. The savings generated by relocations would probably not start accruing until the Parliament after next.

Britain has a duty to give fresh life to its faded ports

Publication: Financial Times
Date: 08/03/2010
Author: Tristram Hunt

Recent figures from the Centre for Cities reveal that nine of the 10 British cities with the fewest business start-ups are ports. The booming ports that once underpinned British industry and empire are now in real danger of business collapse.

Ten Minute Briefing

Publication: Regeneration & Renewal
Date: 08/03/2010

Listen in as Dermot Finch joins Regeneration and Renewal for a round up of the latest news.

The slow road to Tory localism

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 08/02/2010
Author: Dermot Finch

The Tories are likely to adopt a more devolutionary approach than Labour - but the road to Shifting Control will be bumpy and slow.

Bridging the gap

Publication: Public Finance
Date: 28/01/2010
Author: Chris Webber

Improving skills and increasing the housing supply should be two of the top priorities for whichever party wins the election. The future health of our economy will depend on it.

UK cities: do they mean business?

Date: 27/01/2010
Author: Paul Swinney

Cities either have the knack of creating new firms or they don't. Those cities that do tend to be in the south east, while those in the north do not.

RDAs respond to our comment series

Date: 26/01/2010

We've received two thoughtful and constructive responses from the RDAs, in response to our three recent comment pieces. Both included a great deal of agreement with our position, as well as some obvious challenges.

New GDP figures may herald return to growth, but worst performing cities continue to struggle

Publication: Left Foot Forward
Date: 25/01/2010
Author: Kieran Larkin

As the election battle kicks off the parties should ensure that their manifesto commitments help cities with the potential to grow to drive the economic recovery, while being more realistic about the objectives of government spending in less prosperous areas.

Independent, non partisan research and policy institute committed to improving the economic performance of UK cities

articles & blogs 2010

Articles & blogs