Cities do not live in isolation. In the Northwest we are witnesses to the greatest partnership between cities in history – Liverpool and Manchester. Together, they created the world's first railway and the links that powered the industrial revolution.

This conference, taking place at Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, debated how cities in the northwest and beyond can work together, compete and grow. Marking the launch of a new report, 'Rethinking the Northwest Spatial Economy', the conference explored the ways our cities link to and compliment each other and how they contribute to regional growth.

Dermot Finch, the Director of the Centre for Cities, addressed this conference - his speech can be downloaded here.