Unlocking the economic potential of core (and other) cities Presentation to IED National Conference Name David Marlow Third Life Economics Date 19 November 2014

Introductions and agenda  What do we think we mean by (core) cities?  What is their (unrealised) potential?  How far does the current ‘system’ help and hinder city growth?  How might we improve the system , and beyond? An interactive session...please!Me...

Is there an urban hierarchy in UK/England?  London World City/Mega-City region  Core (+ DA capital) city regions/metros  ‘Key Cities’  Top 64 ‘PUAs’  Urban areas more generally...

What do we think we mean by ‘city’?  Lines on a map...  A local authority or collection of city region LAs...  A functional economic geography...  A socio-cultural identity  A broadly-based leadership team which engenders broadly- based followership...  Something else...

The hypotheses of unrealised potential...  The underperformance hypotheses  General challenges (including London)  ‘Secondary City’/’northern’ challenges  The opportunity hypotheses  Agglomeration  Global competitiveness  Centralisation and devolution hypotheses  The dead-hand of Whitehall  Place-making and leadership

The city ambiguities and complexity of sub- national ‘systems’ 2014  New partnerships – LEPs, LTBs, LNPs etc., and local authorities  New leadership and governance – CAs, Mayors, Joint Statutory Committees, non-statutory mechanisms  New policies – NPPF and planning reforms (CIL, NHB etc), EZs, etc.,  New funding instruments – RGF, GPF, LGRR, TIF, LGF, ESIF etc.,...  New sub-regional instruments – city deals, wave one, two; SEPs, local growth deals;  New local instruments – community and neighbourhood budgets  Renationalised E&I functions  New devolution commitments post Scotland referendum

...with particular challenges for core cities...  1 st /2 nd among un-equals as a group...  Some more equal than others...as individual cities/city regions  New members and new devolution agendas  A mixed bag of deals, LEPs, CAs and now metro-mayors...

Devolution orthodoxies, , and issues to resolve...  Increasing transport, skills and employment powers and resources  Increasing national-local co- design/commissioning  Multi-annual financial settlements  Single and/or pooled budgetary pot(s) with flexible borrowing and forward-funding  Strengthened city region leadership and governance  Asymmetrical progress – led by London and GMCA...  Leading and speaking for real cities and/or administrative fixes?  Are any of the governance models ‘fit for purpose’?  Proving the metro-growth dividend and/or zero-sum displacement?  The role of revenue-raising?  The implications for the rest of the ‘system’  Don’t we really need a better national ‘project’ and spatial strategy? Common prescriptions...Major areas to address...

Delivering change effectively...  Huge existing agendas for core and other cities...  City deals, SEPs/growth deals, ESIF, RGF/GPF, EZs/UEZs, growth hubs, other local projects and programmes  Huge development agendas  CAs, other leadership and governance developments  New devolution agreements/settlements  PSR/Transformation under enduring fiscal austerity  Thinking through distinctive place-based 2030/2050 city visions, that tackle the big ticket global challenges  Developing new ways of delivering city leadership and globally-competitive growth

The role of IED and the development economist...  Thought leadership...  Strategic innovation...  Evidence, analysis and intelligence...  Openness and collaboration...  Across geographies and administrations  With other disciplines and approaches

Thank you