Regional Development Agencies: the politics

Date: 18/12/2009
Author: Kieran Larkin

The RDAs' future has been brought into question for two main reasons - a groundswell of opinion in support of localism and the need for a spending squeeze as a result of the recession.  In this second comment piece on RDAs, we outline what the three main political parties think of the agencies and where their visions lack clarity.

Universities can drive West Midlands economic revival

Publication: Birmingham Post
Date: 17/12/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

As the UK edges towards the end of recession, government, cities and commentators alike are looking at where new jobs will come from. And Birmingham is no exception.

Regional Development Agencies: the facts

Date: 08/12/2009
Author: Kieran Larkin

The future of RDAs has become a topic of hot debate. But the views of those that have come out either in favour or against have sometimes bordered on the ideological rather than being based on the evidence. We think the ‘scrap versus keep' the RDAs debate is just too simplistic.

The youth unemployment time bomb: still ticking?

Date: 30/11/2009
Author: Hannah Brown

Youth unemployment is a structural problem, not just a short-term recession problem. 193,000 young people have now been out of work for a year or more. But high levels of youth unemployment have been holding back our cities for a long time. Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems should all focus investment on giving young people the employability skills they need.

More power for cities over skills budgets

Publication: Liberal Democrat Voice
Date: 29/10/2009
Author: Chris Webber

The skills system clearly isn't delivering what we want from it. Chris Webber describes what needs to be done to fix it.

Building the houses we need in Britain's cities

Publication: Liberal Democrat Voice
Date: 28/10/2009
Author: Hannah Brown

Giving cities the incentives to deliver the right houses, in the right places, at the right prices, would be the strongest way of doing giving Councils more control over their local economies.

More financial power for cities

Publication: Liberal Democrat Voice
Date: 27/10/2009
Author: Richard Woolhouse

Richard Woolhouse argues that the Lib Dems should continue to make the relocalisation of business rates a party policy, and examine further devolution of tax-raising powers to cities and the local level.

Metro Mayors for UK's largest cities

Publication: Liberal Democrat Voice
Date: 26/10/2009
Author: Claire Maugham

Why don't Lib Dems go for the idea of elected mayors? Claire Maugham puts the case for metro mayors to Lib Dem Voice.

The case for Metro Mayors

Publication: ConservativeHome
Date: 06/10/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Dermot Finch blogs on ConservativeHome on the case for more directly elected mayors - but only if they have teeth.

The second wave

Publication: Regeneration and Renewal
Date: 05/10/2009
Author: Kieran Larkin

Private sector job losses may be slowing, but the upcoming public spending squeeze will have serious consequences for northern cities' employment prospects, writes Kieran Larkin

Financing the future

Publication: Regional Review
Date: 01/10/2009
Author: Lena Tochtermann

Lena Tochtermann says the UK government must invest in urban transport systems if its regional cities are to keep pace with their European counterparts.

Make your own manifesto - Metro Mayors

Publication: New Statesman
Date: 24/09/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Dermot Finch outlines his 'metro mayors' manifesto idea in the New Statesman

The case for metro mayors

Publication: Real Reform Now: Why Progressives Should Embrace Democratic Renewal and How We Get There
Date: 14/09/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Our biggest cities need directly elected mayors, with real tax and spend powers. ‘Metro mayors' would re-engage millions of voters, and provide more effective leadership for our most important economies outside London.

There may be trouble ahead

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 01/09/2009
Author: Kieran Larkin

Kieran Larkin looks at the likely impact of central government spending cuts on local economies that are heavily reliant on public sector employment.

Young hopes blighted as opportunities vanish

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 19/08/2009
Author: Faiza Shaheen

While youth unemployment has only recently made the headlines, it's by no means a new issue for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Is the future jobs fund merely a sticking plaster?

Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: 20/07/2009
Author: Faiza Shaheen

If the government's youth unemployment initiative is to work, tough decisions need to be made on where to spend the fund - and on which young people

It's in cities that the problem of young people out of work is worst

Publication: The Independent
Date: 26/06/2009
Author: Faiza Shaheen

As cities witness a growing queue of young people outside their Job Centres, the inevitable question is: what can cities do to help their younger residents survive the recession?

Reform can't be limited to Parliament

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 11/06/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

It's time to talk up decentralisation. The recession has hit UK cities very differently, demanding city-level approaches to employment, house building and transport.

Let's have local transport to match our needs

Publication: Yorkshire Post
Date: 11/06/2009
Author: Lena Tochtermann

Public transport is not just about tickets and prices. It is also about the breadth of service provided - argues Lena Tochtermann in the Yorkshire Post

Super-sized cities must get real powers

Publication: The Municipal Journal
Date: 07/05/2009
Author: Hannah Brown

Alistair Darling's Budget revealed the UK's first two city-regions - but now the real work begins. Hannah Brown asks what needs to be done to make these devolution experiments a success.

We need a 'C20' summit

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 02/04/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Looking beyond the G20, and this month's Budget, what further action is now needed at the local level here?

The Special Partnership

Publication: Citizen Today
Date: 01/04/2009
Author: Chris Webber

Following years of policy ideas fl owing mainly from the US to the UK, President Obama's
administration would benefi t from some of the experiences of policy makers in the UK,
says Chris Webber.

Cities ready for power: who's first and why?

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 01/04/2009
Author: Adam Marshall

City-regions are still poorly undersood in parts of Whitehall. But their time has come, says Adam Marshall.

Committing to growth

Publication: Planning
Date: 27/03/2009
Author: Chris Webber and Catherine Glossop

Proposals to reform the planning system fail to tackle underlying resistance to development and a lack of incentives to make it acceptable.

Parkinson's law on funding

Publication: Municipal Journal
Date: 26/03/2009
Author: Adam Marshall

Professor Michael Parkinson's recent review of regeneration is a stark warning for cities on the consequence of the recession. Adam Marshall urges council leaders to push the Government to provide new tools to deliver regeneration.

Tales from two cities as migrants distort quest for work

Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: 16/03/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Hull reveals separate 'Polish only' jobs market as newcomers compete with long-term residents for employment in Bristol.

It's not all grim down South

Publication: London Business Matters
Date: 01/03/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

London was hit first by this recession, but is also in pole position to jump-start the recovery. This isn't just the UK's largest city - it's one of the few genuinely global cities.

Jump-starting regeneration

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 26/02/2009
Author: Adam Marshall

While Parkinson rightly urges the regeneration sector to battle bravely on where projects are still viable, the current levels of pessimism are striking. So is TIF the answer to regeneration's financial troubles?

 

Outlook for cities: how will they ride out the storm?

Publication: New Start
Date: 26/02/2009
Author: Hannah Brown

Government will need to devolve more powers to city leaders and city-regions, so they have the levers over housing, training, skills and planning to ensure more resilient economies in the future.

Positive attitude to development

Publication: The Argus
Date: 17/02/2009
Author: Chris Webber

Following on from the Centre for Cities report on Brighton & Hove, Chris Webber tell The Argus what should happen for the city to thrive.

Bristol faces the storm

Date: 10/02/2009
Author: Malcolm Cooper

British cities are now facing significant job losses, and Bristol will have its share. So, where is Bristol most vulnerable and what are its strengths?

Lessons we can share with Obama

Publication: Public Servant
Date: 29/01/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

The Obama administration is about to begin the mammoth task of kick-starting the US economy. But what will the new President do for US cities? And what can he learn from the UK? Dermot Finch suggests there are likely to be many opportunities for an exchange of ideas.

Recession: Urban renewal rules

Publication: Local Government Chronicle
Date: 29/01/2009
Author: Malcolm Cooper

Malcolm Cooper outlines the findings of a study that shows how the UK's cities are placed to face the challenges of recession.

Birmingham on amber

Publication: Birmingham Post
Date: 29/01/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Birmingham needs to get real about the impact of this deep and prolonged recession, and press ahead with an action plan to survive the next year or two.

Recession will hit the north too

Publication: Comment is Free
Date: 26/01/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Many cities outside the south-east are heavily exposed to job losses and need more power to deal with their own problems.

Cities need to be strong enough to tackle their own recessions

Publication: The Independent Minds
Date: 26/01/2009
Author: Dermot Finch

Britain's cities are moving deeper into recession, and closer to the ballot box. As the economic outlook gets a lot worse, all three main parties face European and local elections this June. And the next general election is getting closer, too. What impact will the recession have on our cities, and how much do they matter to the three main parties?