Channel 4’s HQ2: Where and Why?

Channel 4 is moving 300 staff out of London, with most going to a major British city.* The HQ2 shortlist has just been announced, and seven city-regions are on it: Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. The winner will be announced on 1 October. So, who should win? And what effects could the move have on … Continue reading “Channel 4’s HQ2: Where and Why?”

The University of Birmingham’s Impact on the Local Economy

Birmingham was recently ranked as the UK’s number one destination for foreign direct investment – creating over 12,000 jobs in the last 10 years. The West Midlands ranks as the UK’s number one region for manufacturing technology jobs, accounting for 60% of the country’s exports. The focal point for explaining the region’s success often surrounds … Continue reading “The University of Birmingham’s Impact on the Local Economy”

Wolverhampton Wanderers Return to the English Premier League: Football, Property and Local Economic Development

Greetings from Singapore. Singapore is perhaps a strange place to reflect on Wolverhampton Wanderers and its return to the English Premier League. But, like Wolverhampton, Singapore is a very special place with an interesting collection of strategic assets. All this is to argue that a place, a city, a town or a ward is defined … Continue reading “Wolverhampton Wanderers Return to the English Premier League: Football, Property and Local Economic Development”

Birmingham Policy Lab: Diversity and minority ethnic entrepreneurship in the West Midlands – 15 May 2018, 12:00 – 16:20

The University of Birmingham would like to invite you to a Birmingham Policy Lab workshop to explore the theme of diversity and minority ethnic entrepreneurship in the West Midlands.  The event will be held from 12:00 – 16:20 (including lunch) on Tuesday 15 May 2018 at the Nishkam Civic Association in Handsworth. Overview This Birmingham … Continue reading “Birmingham Policy Lab: Diversity and minority ethnic entrepreneurship in the West Midlands – 15 May 2018, 12:00 – 16:20”

Metro-Mayors: Can they address UK Regional Inequality?

Professor Simon Collinson discusses the need to devolve power in the UK to address the economic imbalance between London and the South East and the rest of the UK. Metro Mayors can potentially be a powerful instrument to promote regional growth which is critical to the long-term social and political stability of the country.   In … Continue reading “Metro-Mayors: Can they address UK Regional Inequality?”

The Economic Impacts of Brexit on the UK, its Regions, its Cities and its Sectors: Participatory Workshops

Our ESRC funded Brexit project, as part of the UK in a Changing Europe Initiative, aims to examine in detail the likely impacts of Brexit on the UK’s sectors, regions, and cities. Our analysis draws upon the most detailed regional-national-international trade and competition datasets currently available anywhere in the world, allowing us to examine the impacts of … Continue reading “The Economic Impacts of Brexit on the UK, its Regions, its Cities and its Sectors: Participatory Workshops”

What Sort of Policy is Required for What Sort of Regional Outcome: Reflections on the West Midlands from New Orleans

Another day in New Orleans at the Annual Conference of the Association of American Geographies. In my last blog, I raised the interesting question “What sort of policy is required for what sort of regional outcome?“. The answer to this question is difficult, but some of the discussions at this conference would suggest that any … Continue reading “What Sort of Policy is Required for What Sort of Regional Outcome: Reflections on the West Midlands from New Orleans”

International and Internal Labour Migration and the City – AAG Annual Meeting 2018

The American Association of Geographers Annual meeting 2018 is being held from 10-14 April in New Orleans, USA. It features over 6,000 presentations, posters and workshops by leading scholars, experts, and researchers. In attendance from City REDI, as well as giving papers and organising sessions, are Professor Anne Green, Professor John Bryson and Dr Catherine … Continue reading “International and Internal Labour Migration and the City – AAG Annual Meeting 2018”

Perspectives from the AAG Annual Meeting 2018, New Orleans

This blog gives the perspective of two academics attending the AAG Annual Meeting 2018 in New Orleans. The first part of the blog is from Professor John Bryson, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, and the second part written by Dr. Vida Vanchan, State University of New York (SUNY), who is co-organising two sessions at the conference with Professor … Continue reading “Perspectives from the AAG Annual Meeting 2018, New Orleans”

Storify – The Economic Impacts of Brexit on the UK, its Regions, its Cities and its Sectors

Professor Raquel Ortega-Argiles, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, is leading a project examining in detail the likely impacts of Brexit on the UK’s sectors, regions and cities. In December 2017, Professor Ortega-Argiles and her team of co-investigators from the University of Sheffield, University of Groningen, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the Erasmus University Rotterdam, published … Continue reading “Storify – The Economic Impacts of Brexit on the UK, its Regions, its Cities and its Sectors”