This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at persistent issues with the current grant system for local government. Local government relies heavily on central grants to deliver economic policies, and the current system hinders its ability to respond effectively to economic change. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to streamlining the...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at whether a London running on 59% pre-covid office attendance levels be able to avoid a slump. Centre for Cities has worked with Professor Dan Graham and his team at Imperial College London to produce Office politics: London and the rise of home working,...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at why the urban economies essential for driving growth are underperforming. This report shows that the Midlands Engine plays a large role in the UK economy, however its economy is £18 billion per year smaller than it should be. Accounting for 89 per cent...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the role of London in the UK’s productivity puzzle. This report published in partnership with EC BID, shows that over the last 15 years London’s productivity growth has both trailed its international competitors and has been the main cause of the UK’s productivity...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the UK’s 4 million missing homes. Britain has a severe housing crisis, especially in the most prosperous places in the Greater South East. Across England, the average house costs more than ten times the average salary, vacancy rates are below 1 per cent,...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at the UK’s army of hidden unemployed people. Cities Outlook 2023 finds that official unemployment figures mask an army of hidden workers in cities and large towns in the North of England in particular. This underscores once again the pressing need for a set of...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the geography of the UK’s new economy. The new economy encompasses knowledge-intensive sectors at the very forefront of new technologies and innovations including software, robotics, telecommunications and gaming. Fuelling these sectors is central to improving the UK’s productivity and prosperity, and to the...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the most frequently asked questions on planning reform. This report brings together answers to the most frequently asked questions on planning reform and what actions local and national government should be taking to tackle the root cause of the housing crisis and to...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the role of regeneration in levelling up. One of the most eye-catching policies in the Government's Levelling Up White Paper, published in February, was the announcement that 20 regeneration projects would be rolled out across the UK. So far, Blackpool, Sheffield, and Wolverhampton...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at the places at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis. The burden of the cost of living crisis is being felt in every corner of the UK. Nationally, the picture is clear, but much less is known about how the rising cost...