The report first sets the context for understanding the economies of cities. It examines competitive performance during the 1990s and into the early years of the new millennium, and then analyses the key drivers of this performance together with their underlying basic determinants. The report then looks in some depth at how the kinds of changes have worked out in practice in four case study cities: London, Cambridge, Derby and Sheffield. The report also looks at the key issues facing businesses, universities/research institutes and governments in seeking to develop knowledge based, innovative and learning-adaptive economies in English cities. Finally, the report presents research conclusions and highlights policy implications.

The report is one of a series of six thematic reports associated with the State of the English cities report (SOCR). These reports together provide the detailed evidence on which the main findings presented in the State of the English cities report are based.

The researchers analysed secondary data on the changes taking place in the aggregate economic performance of the 56 largest English cities in terms of their populations in 2001. They then analysed a combination of secondary sources and qualitative interviews with elite decision makers on the forces making for change and continuity in four illustrative case studies.

The researchers found that urban economies are not individual islands but are subject to major external sources of change over which they have little or no control. They conclude that, in general terms, English cities face two big hurdles in devising and implementing tailored and bottom up policies to improve their economic competitiveness and consequentially that of their regions and the national economy as well. The first hurdle is that many of the factors that contribute most to competitiveness are part of the self-organising and market driven private sector. In addition, English cities have generally weak powers over strategic decision making and finance.

Communities and Local Government
Phone: +44 20 7944 4400
contactus@communities.gsi.gov.uk

29/11/2006

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Oxford Brookes University; Cambridge University; University College London

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Competitiveness