Sunderland: The Challenges of the Future

Author: Malcolm Cooper
Date: 28/01/2009

Sunderland is a partner city in the Centre for Cities research programme ‘Unlocking City Potential and Sustaining City Growth'. The programme works closely with a small group of cities to inform economic development strategies and improve economic performance. This report sets out policy analysis and recommendations in response to two principal questions

• How can Sunderland build on a decade of achievement to attain long-term sustainable growth?
• What should be the main priorities in formulating an appropriate economic development strategy?

Key Recommendations

• The phased regeneration of the city centre must be pursued for Sunderland’s economy to return to its recent growth trajectory.
• The Working Neighbourhoods Strategy should be pursued along with the introduction of an integrated bus network to bind Sunderland into the wider city region economy.
• Policy and financial resources should be invested to create the infrastructure for a local enterprise and innovation network.