Addressing Regional Inequalities

Abigail Taylor discusses a recent project which examines how four city-regions have made progress in reducing regional inequality. This project is associated with our Levelling Up projects and research, you can find out more information here. This is also a collaboration project with The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), you can download … Continue reading “Addressing Regional Inequalities”

A Spotlight on the Øresund Bridge, Denmark and Sweden

Gina Coe looks at the experiences of investing in infrastructure, specifically the Øresund Bridge situated in the Øresund Region, to address regional inequality.  Infrastructure investment can boost a region’s economic growth in the short-, medium-, and long-term, as well as working to address regional inequalities and disparities in outcomes. The blog shines a brief spotlight … Continue reading “A Spotlight on the Øresund Bridge, Denmark and Sweden”

Investing in Infrastructure: Best Practice From Bilbao to New South Wales

Abigail Taylor, Anne Green and Gina Coe discuss how governments around the globe have focused on infrastructure investment in attempt to address regional inequalities.  Governments have turned to infrastructure development to stimulate economic growth. From the UK’s Plan for Growth and the European Green Deal to the US’s Build Back Better Plan, infrastructure has been … Continue reading “Investing in Infrastructure: Best Practice From Bilbao to New South Wales”

Midlands Engine Observatory Academic Insights: Challenges and Opportunities for the Midlands Regional Economy

In partnership with the Midlands Engine, City-REDI / WMREDI staff have compiled several think pieces on key emerging trends on regional economic data points. View our Midlands Engine Observatory project page Flexible Working Patterns Firstly, Dr Abigail Taylor looks at flexible working patterns. Greater demand for flexible and hybrid working practices has emerged following the … Continue reading “Midlands Engine Observatory Academic Insights: Challenges and Opportunities for the Midlands Regional Economy”

Lessons for the West Midlands From Greater Montreal

Recently, I had the privilege of travelling to Montreal, to present a paper with my colleague Rebecca Riley and meet with key policy makers. The trip provided a fascinating comparison with the West Midlands, in particular in terms of the success of industrial clusters, approaches to promoting FDI, the use of innovation zones, and university … Continue reading “Lessons for the West Midlands From Greater Montreal”

What is Transport Resilience?

Welcome to part three in our new series “What is…?” where we explain the language, terms and ideas used in our day-to-day work.  Other blogs from the series include: What is GVA? What is Smart Specialisation? What are Industrial Clusters and Economies of Agglomeration? Definition and description Transport is necessary at the national and international … Continue reading “What is Transport Resilience?”

The Importance of Connectivity: If HS2 and the Midlands Rail Hub Are Delivered the Whole Region Will Benefit

In the latest City-REDI West Midlands Economic Monitor we noted how Midlands Connect has submitted a £2 billion plan for a Midlands Rail Hub The proposal would see 24 extra passenger trains for East-West connectivity, including faster connectivity times for towns and cities across the Midlands, including Nottingham and Hereford. The plan would see Moor … Continue reading “The Importance of Connectivity: If HS2 and the Midlands Rail Hub Are Delivered the Whole Region Will Benefit”

West Midlands Economic Monitor: June 2019

June’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’s monitor looks at hydrogen trains, the UK 2070 Commission, homelessness and fuel poverty, modular homes, and as always features analysis of the latest data about the region’s economic performance. … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Monitor: June 2019”

The March edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available

This month’s edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available for download. We look at the changes in regional productivity, employment, business activity and house prices in the region, as well as projects that have been announced in rail, 5G internet, electric cars and adult education in the West Midlands. You can get … Continue reading “The March edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available”

City-REDI launches the West Midlands Economic Monitor

This month we are launching our new West Midlands Economic Monitor. It is full of information on upcoming developments in and around Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country, interesting data, and expert analysis from our team of researchers. We will present some of the trends drawn from national and local data on a whole range … Continue reading “City-REDI launches the West Midlands Economic Monitor”