Centre for Cities
@centreforcities
The Centre for Cities is an independent think tank dedicated to improving the economies of the UK's largest cities and towns
📆 Join Centre for Cities and the @workfoundation.bsky.social for a discussion on how metro mayors can tackle youth economic inactivity, featuring a keynote address from Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire 📢 Book your place 👇 buff.ly/M0kK99w
We are #hiring an Content Creation Intern! 💼 Designed to support our work on audio and video communications this internship is a fantastic opportunity for someone seeking a first step in the world of communications. Join the Centre for Cities team 👇 buff.ly/ngDNXt5
Quick analysis from @antbreach.bsky.social. 1/ Proposals = biggest transfer of power from national to local government in the history of the state.
NEW BRIEFING | What powers do England’s mayors have? Our new briefing maps their responsibilities across skills, transport, housing and funding, and identifies where further devolution could support local growth. Read in full🔎👇 buff.ly/r3HFGQm
We are hiring an External Affairs Intern! 💼 Designed to support our work on audio and video communications this internship is a fantastic opportunity for someone seeking a first step in the world of communications, policy and research. Join the Centre for Cities team 👇 buff.ly/S4UsYiQ
"I'm a big believer in giving mayors the fiscal autonomy to do what they need to do at the local level" ~ Mayor of Cleveland @justinmbibb.bsky.social Watch in full🎙️👇 buff.ly/zQhbQng
London is also unusual in relying on a narrow tax base. The GLA’s taxes are almost entirely property-based, and it has little control over the rates. That weakens the link between local economic growth and local revenues.
In Tokyo, 77% of metro government revenue comes from taxes. In New York it is 70%, in Munich 65% and in Paris 64%. For the GLA, the figure is just 32%.
London has less fiscal firepower than almost any comparable global city. Our new briefing asks what fiscal devolution could mean for the capital, drawing on evidence from G7 cities and London’s own history. Read in full 🔍👇️ buff.ly/779Zcds
📆 Regeneration projects can transform city centres, unlock investment and support growth. But what conditions are needed to make ambitious schemes succeed? Join our online discussion tomorrow👇️ buff.ly/zsLl28t
Drawing on his experience leading one of England’s largest city regions, Sir Andy Street is joining us to discuss the progress of devolution in England, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the case for greater fiscal devolution. Register here 👇 buff.ly/CezQQTV
A closer look at Andy Burnham's goal to make high streets “the symbols of Britain's renaissance” 🔎 👇 buff.ly/L0pb6AJ
In his first major speech following his re-election, Andy Burnham argued that building more council housing would help the UK break out of the ‘housing trap’. How might he achieve this goal, and what else needs to be on his housing policy agenda?👇 buff.ly/MzsAza2
What will it take to raise living standards across urban Britain? Big cities’ scale, firms and skills put them at the centre of the UK’s growth mission. Read Big Cities Outlook👇 buff.ly/eyp9f78
Can high streets become a marker of renewal, not decline? Our research finds vacancy rates vary widely across cities, and the causes often sit in the wider local economy 👇 buff.ly/9FzxBmV
Andy Burnham is right that the UK is the most fiscally centralised country in the G7. Just 5 per cent of tax revenue goes to local authorities and mayors in the UK. Changing this will be key to generating “good growth in every postcode”.
What could a roadmap to fiscal devolution look like? Here's Andy Burnham speaking at a Centre for Cities event in March 👇
"The GLA's annual budget is about £23 billion. London through the national redistribution system of tax and spend, provides £43 billion to the rest of the country." What does that mean for fiscal devolution?🎧👇
Big cities contain a disproportionate share of deprivation. 36% of neighbourhoods in big cities are among the most income-deprived nationally, rising to 53% in urban cores.
The challenge is not a lack of growth. Since 2013, economic growth has returned in many big cities. But living standards have not kept pace. Growth and rising living standards have become disconnected.
The size of the prize is substantial. If big city productivity matched the national average, the UK economy would be £34.7bn larger each year.
Big cities have the scale, skills and businesses needed to drive growth. But they are underperforming. Together they generate 15% of UK output, below their share of the population, and average disposable incomes are lower than the national average.
🚀NEW REPORT | Big Cities Outlook The UK's largest cities should be at the heart of the Government's growth mission. They are home to 16% of the population, but account for 19% of knowledge-intensive business services jobs. Explore the report👇 buff.ly/mxLwAeJ
The UK is an outlier when compared to other countries when it comes to fiscal devolution. Only 5 per cent of tax revenue is collected at the local level - this is holding back growth. Listen to our latest podcast🎙️👇 buff.ly/y7XfhCn
What would be the potential benefits if big cities matched the productivity performance of their international peers? 🌏
Liverpool's focus on skills has helped bring more than 46,000 additional residents into work over the past decade. The city's experience highlights the link between skills, employment and inclusion. Read more👇 buff.ly/5enA56E
🏆What's the size of the prize for improving the economic performance of the UK's big cities?
The Social Housing Bill could help councils return to building social housing by reforming Right to Buy and reducing administrative barriers. But legislation is only part of the story. Grant funding will determine the scale of delivery👇 buff.ly/iA9eKOM
🎙️“Growth felt by everyone” - what is needed to achieve this? On the podcast: deprivation, youth worklessness, Manchester, London and the practical links between city growth and opportunity. Listen now 🎧👇 buff.ly/ug60MaK
Labour market policy has a spatial dimension. The effects of minimum wage increases can differ between places depending on local earnings and economic performance, with consequences for younger workers 👇 buff.ly/Jb2dTTX