Estimates of the Local Impact in the West Midlands of the OBR Scenario of a 35% Reduction in Real GDP in Q2 2020

The Office of Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) COVID-19 analysis published on 14th April 2020 makes clear that on the basis of evidence from past pandemics the economic impact of the crisis will arise less from illness and death than from the reduction in demand for goods and services stemming from public health restrictions and social distancing … Continue reading “Estimates of the Local Impact in the West Midlands of the OBR Scenario of a 35% Reduction in Real GDP in Q2 2020”

West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 24 April 2020

WM REDI has been tasked with providing an up to date monitor of the current COVID-19 economic impacts to help regional partners to shape responses and interventions to ensure the region continues to thrive. The weekly monitor brings together data and intelligence from the WM REDI partnership into one single source which can be shared … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 24 April 2020”

City-REDI Weekly Update – 2nd April 2020

Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. Blogs Local Resilience and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Economic Crisis In this blog, Dr Tasos Kitsos discusses the economic impact Coronavirus will have on the West Midlands by reflecting on the 2008 economic crash whilst considering the factors at play during this … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 2nd April 2020”

Is Birmingham a Just City?

The story of Birmingham’s post-industrial decline in the twentieth century is well known. However, any visitor to the city centre today can’t help but notice its urban renaissance in the twenty-first. From the revitalised New Street station to the glass tower blocks at Snow Hill, major regeneration projects are visually transforming the city. Many of … Continue reading “Is Birmingham a Just City?”

City-REDI Weekly Update – 5th March 2020

Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. Blogs Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings What do employers in the West Midlands think productivity is? What acts to constrain innovation in their businesses, do they struggle to find employees with the right skills and are their … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 5th March 2020”

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?”

City-REDI Weekly Update – 20th February 2020

Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. Blogs West Midlands Economic Monitor: February 2020 February’s edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available for you to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the region. This month shows that regional PMI data has rebounded to growth, whilst … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 20th February 2020”

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”

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”