The Centre for Cities has appointed three new researchers to build on the Centre's successful first six months. Liz Troni, Tracy Kornblatt and Chris Urwin take the team up to eight which represents a significant step forward and will allow the Centre to increase its research outputs.

Dermot Finch, Director of the Centre for Cities, said:
"Liz, Tracy and Chris are great appointments for us – coming from the private sector, one of the top US think tanks and from Whitehall. They bring real expertise to the Centre on the property market, taxation and US cities. This will ensure that the Centre continues to position itself as the UK's most dynamic urban research centre."

Notes to Editors:
Liz Troni joins the Centre for Cities from the London office of global property consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield Healey & Baker, where she was Head of UK Research. Liz is leading our City Markets project on enterprise in deprived areas.

Tracy Kornblatt joins the Centre from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Programme in Washington DC. She is working on our City Markets project, and providing economic advice across the Centre's agenda.

Chris Urwin previously worked as an economist at the then HM Customs and Excise, helping develop the evidence base for indirect taxation policy measures. Chris is working on our City People and City Leadership projects, and providing economic analysis of a wide range of urban issues.

The Centre for Cities is taking a fresh look at how UK cities function, focusing on the economic drivers behind city growth. It is running three projects this year: City People, City Leadership and City Markets. The Centre is based at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), the UK's leading progressive think-tank.