Political Disenchantment and the Urban-Rural Divide: An Investigation of Social and Political Attitudes Across 30 European Countries

Presenter: Davide Luca, Research Associate, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge. On the 12 February 2020, Davide Luca presented his research work with Mike Kenny as part of the City-REDI Seminar Series. Below is an abstract and also a video recording of the seminar with slide and audio. Abstract: Despite growing concerns about … Continue reading “Political Disenchantment and the Urban-Rural Divide: An Investigation of Social and Political Attitudes Across 30 European Countries”

Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings

The UK lags behind most advanced economies in terms of the productivity of its firms. There are also significant inter-regional differences in productivity across the UK, which are an important component of overall poor performance. The UK is also one of the most unequal countries, compared to other industrialised competitors, in terms of regional differences … Continue reading “Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings”

Birmingham Has yet to Embrace Tolkien – Why?

Tolkien and his works are inextricably linked to Birmingham, and hints of Middle-earth can be found across the region. He grew up in Kings Heath, a suburb of the city, and spent a considerable amount of time in Hall Green, home to Moseley Bog, believed to be the inspiration for Fangorn Forest. The city captured … Continue reading “Birmingham Has yet to Embrace Tolkien – Why?”

What Do We Know About the Current Economic Conditions and What Does the Latest Data Indicate for the West Midlands’ Economy?

Official data has a habit of being out of sync and lagging, necessarily as its aim is to get an accurate understanding of performance, that takes time, effort and a drive for quality. Big decisions are made on this data and we need to know it’s right. But how do we know what’s going on … Continue reading “What Do We Know About the Current Economic Conditions and What Does the Latest Data Indicate for the West Midlands’ Economy?”

Universities and Regional Economies: A Peek Into the Wild Side

In this blog Diana Gutiérrez-Posada, Tasos Kitsos and André Carrascal-Incera discuss their project on the impact of universities on regional economies, linking to further work in City-REDI. This research is part of the City-REDI project “The Impact of Universities on Regional Economies“.  There is a great divide among academics and the public as to the … Continue reading “Universities and Regional Economies: A Peek Into the Wild Side”

Professional and Business Services Sector: Creating Further Demand and Growth Outside London – New Report Released

We are proud to announce that BEIS have just published our report, summarising our research findings on creating demand and growth in the Professional and business service sector. The UK’s poor productivity performance continues to be of much debate in policy and research and is central to the development of the Industrial Strategy. This research … Continue reading “Professional and Business Services Sector: Creating Further Demand and Growth Outside London – New Report Released”

WM REDI Launch Shows the Region Is Ready to Rise to the Challenge

An exciting new University of Birmingham research institute, the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WM REDI) was launched on Monday 3rd February. It is an unprecedented partnership between key regional organisations and stakeholders, who have come together to find ways to deliver an effective inclusive growth vision and meet the economic challenges and opportunities … Continue reading “WM REDI Launch Shows the Region Is Ready to Rise to the Challenge”

City-REDI Weekly Update – 13th February 2020

Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. News John Goddard OBE Joins City-REDI as Professor of Universities and Cities John Goddard, Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies at Newcastle University and founder of the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), is joining City-REDI, University of Birmingham … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 13th February 2020”

New Report Released: Governance and Urban Development in Birmingham

For the past three years, an interdisciplinary (and international) team of geographers, political scientists and urban planners working across the universities of Birmingham and Zurich has been studying Birmingham’s urban development, governance, and social and economic trends from the year 2000 to present. Now, as our research project draws to a close, we have reached … Continue reading “New Report Released: Governance and Urban Development in Birmingham”

Creating a Workforce Fit for Tomorrow: Leadership and Unlocking Potential

This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Creating a Workforce Fit for Tomorrow: Leadership and Unlocking Potential”