Here, City-REDI’s Professor John Bryson shares his Spring Budget predictions ahead of tomorrow’s announcement. “…There is a major policy tension that needs to be reconciled. On the one hand, there is a strategy to devolve business rates as part of the ‘devolution revolution’. On the other hand, the rise of e-commerce has undermined the basis of much … Continue reading “Budgeting on the Margins? Skills, Business Rates and the Budget”
DevoConnect/City-REDI mayoral hustings: Innovation and Intervention – Igniting the Midlands Engine
Last night @CityREDI hosted the latest in a series of @DevoConnect mayoral hustings at the University of Birmingham’s Business School, chaired by our very own Director, Professor Simon Collinson. A well-attended, stimulating event with some excellent questions it presents an opportune point to reflect on the mayoral process so far and how candidates are shaping … Continue reading “DevoConnect/City-REDI mayoral hustings: Innovation and Intervention – Igniting the Midlands Engine”
Data from the producer perspective: Two days with the ONS
City-REDI’s Tasos Kitsos is back from attending the International Economic Statistics Conference hosted by ONS. Here he provides a round-up of his experience. These are some of my favourite ingredients for a conference; A line-up of great speakers, An audience full of interesting people, A great balance between talking, debating, questioning and breaking up for … Continue reading “Data from the producer perspective: Two days with the ONS”
Urban living – what’s Birmingham’s offer?
Is living in Birmingham so bad? The answer is no according to a recent YouGov survey of Birmingham residents. But what makes the city so ‘liveable’? Here, Dr Rachel Mulhall provides some reflections. Green Space – Perhaps surprising to those who don’t live in the city, residents of Birmingham refer to parks and open spaces as … Continue reading “Urban living – what’s Birmingham’s offer?”
What makes Birmingham the UK’s most investable city?
Birmingham has undergone a huge transformation over the last 10 years as a result of significant growth and investment. Now a prospering and vibrant city, Birmingham is becoming an increasingly appealing place to live, work and invest – offering what is often described as ‘a cosmopolitan lifestyle without the price tag’. But what is it that makes Birmingham … Continue reading “What makes Birmingham the UK’s most investable city?”
Uniting the City – The first challenge for city leadership
The political events of 2016 exposed huge divisions within UK society. Here, City-REDI’s Rebecca Riley speaks of the need for cities to be looking for ways to bring our communities back together again. There are some important lessons to be learnt from the political turmoil of 2016 which exposed a number of major challenges for … Continue reading “Uniting the City – The first challenge for city leadership”
A modern industrial strategy – can it work?
A modern industrial strategy – can it work? The following piece was written by Professor Henry Overman, London School of Economics, and City-REDI’s Max Nathan. Much has already been written on the Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper. This post isn’t intended to provide an overall assessment or spell out our individual views on the approach being … Continue reading “A modern industrial strategy – can it work?”
Research on Economic Resilience in UK Local Authority Districts
Since the 2008 downturn, ‘resilience’ as a concept has re-entered daily discussions in both policy and academia. The notion of a place which is able to grow despite what lies in its path however, though very appealing, has proven exceptionally difficult. Here, City-REDI’s Tasos Kitsos discusses the findings of his latest research paper which can be … Continue reading “Research on Economic Resilience in UK Local Authority Districts”
AnalystFEST post-event review: “Standing Room Only!”
In this post, Tasos Kitsos provides a round-up of City-REDI’s AnalystFEST event which took place last week. The event brought together policy and academic researchers in the West Midlands to celebrate the use of evidence. This was an activity packed day that provided the chance for a number of high profile speakers to reflect on … Continue reading “AnalystFEST post-event review: “Standing Room Only!””
West Midlands Devolution: Great Mayoral Debate 2017
City-REDI sponsored an event hosted by Insider last week which brought together the mayoral candidates for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for a debate ahead of the election on May 4th. City-REDI’s Prof. Simon Collinson was there to bring the session to a close, providing a number of key reflections that came out of the … Continue reading “West Midlands Devolution: Great Mayoral Debate 2017”