Events – presenting work/ speaking engagements 7 May, members of City-REDI attended the Birmingham Anchor Network Co-ordination group. 15 May, members of City-REDI attended the Midlands Engine research, intelligence and policy partnership. 16 May, City-REDI held an academic seminar with Helen Jarvis from the University of Newcastle: Civic Universities for a Civil Society: (Un)Learning Habits … Continue reading “City-REDI/WMREDI Round Up – May and June 2024”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 27 June 2024
This month, the World Bank has recommended global cooperation to safeguard trade, support green and digital transitions, deliver debt relief, and improve food security. Economy and Business Despite an improvement in near-term prospects, the global outlook remains subdued by historical standards. In 2024-25, growth is set to underperform its 2010s average in nearly 60 percent … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 27 June 2024”
CRRESY 7 (City-REDI REsearch SYmposium 7)
On 22nd May 2024, City-REDI hosted its seventh biannual research symposium. The in-person event featured various presentations from City-REDI researchers showcasing some of the institute’s research diversity. This blog from Hannes Read provides an overview of research from the event and his ten top takeaways. Readers are encouraged to contact the presenters for more information on … Continue reading “CRRESY 7 (City-REDI REsearch SYmposium 7)”
Understanding Community Engagement: A Nine-Dimensional Framework
In this blog, Sara Hassan (City-REDI) reflects with Lucy Natarajan (Bartlett School of Planning) on their recently published article in Town Planning Review which proposes a nine-dimensional framework that evaluates community engagement in planning practice. This blog was first published on the Liverpool University Press blog. Community engagement lies at the heart of participatory planning … Continue reading “Understanding Community Engagement: A Nine-Dimensional Framework”
The Post-pandemic Migration Shift? How Remote Work May Be Changing Where We Live
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work, especially for high-skilled workers, leading to questions about its impact on internal migration patterns. In our latest blog, Darja Reuschke and Julie MacLeavy explore the link between remote working and migration. This blog is informed by the research presented in the book chapter ‘Reshaping the geography … Continue reading “The Post-pandemic Migration Shift? How Remote Work May Be Changing Where We Live”
What Can We Learn From 20 Years of EU Funding for SME Finance? Lessons From Wales and Beyond
Drawing on findings from the Wales Business Fund evaluation, Tim Fanning and Neil Evans reflect on the lessons from attempts to address the SME finance gap in Wales and other UK regions. The SME finance gap: a key barrier to growth Gaps in access to finance for SMEs have been recognised as a market failure … Continue reading “What Can We Learn From 20 Years of EU Funding for SME Finance? Lessons From Wales and Beyond”
Grasping the Nettle: The Urgent Reform of Business Rates
John Webber, Director & Head of Rating at Colliers, discusses how the current business rates system needs reform. With rate bills becoming increasingly unaffordable for many businesses and the appeal process overly complex and costly, urgent action is needed to address the unsustainable nature of the system. This article was written for the Birmingham Economic … Continue reading “Grasping the Nettle: The Urgent Reform of Business Rates”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 30 May 2024
This month brings news of a General Election on 4 July, following on from the May local elections where Labour won 9 out of 10 mayoral elections, including in the West Midlands. This is happening against the backdrop of global growth rates above 3% and inflation falling rapidly globally. In the UK, the Consumer Prices … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 30 May 2024”
Britain the ‘World’s Worst on Homelessness’ – What About the West Midlands?
The UK has the highest rates of homelessness in the developed world, with a significant increase over the past 14 years, particularly in the West Midlands. Alongside the physical, emotional and psychological impact it has on the individual, homelessness creates a substantial financial burden on local authorities, with Birmingham having the highest temporary accommodation expenses … Continue reading “Britain the ‘World’s Worst on Homelessness’ – What About the West Midlands?”
Getting our Transport System Closer to the Standards of London
Adam Harrison, Principal Transport Policy and Strategy Officer, Transport for West Midlands discusses how we can make our transport systems in the region better and stronger for our communities. This article was written for the Birmingham Economic Review 2023. The review is produced by City-REDI/ WMREDI, the University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers … Continue reading “Getting our Transport System Closer to the Standards of London”