Centre for Cities

City Talks: the future of urban jobs

In this month's episode, Andrew looks at how people make a living in cities, and what the impact of new technology will be on urban jobs. Will automation destroy more jobs than it creates? Are city economies being stifled by the cost of housing? Will the government's approach to tackling low pay and productivity work? Joining Andrew to discuss these questions are Ryan Avent, News Editor at the Economist and author of The Gated City, and Giles Wilkes, Leader Writer for the Financial Times and a former Special Advisor to Vince Cable when he was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

City Talks: trains, planes and economic growth?

In this month’s episode, Ben Harrison steps in for Andrew to discuss how transport within and between cities contributes to the growth of UK plc. The discussion touches on the Government’s plans for creating a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and what it might mean in practice, the controversy around HS2 and other big investments, and the impact of the driverless car. Joining him are Dr Jon Lamonte, Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, MD of Customer Experience, Marketing and Communications at Transport for London, and Bridget Rosewell, Senior Advisor at Volterra and a Non-Executive Director at Network Rail.

City Talks: Housing - crisis or continuity?

In this months episode, Andrew explores why housing has become such a politically potent issue over the last five years, where the roots of the crisis lie, and what we can do to improve affordability and boost housebuilding. Joining him are Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, David Lunts, Executive Director of Housing and Land at the Greater London Authority, and Catherine Ryder, Head of Policy at the National Housing Federation.

City talks: can we rebalance the economy?

In this month's episode, Andrew revisits an earlier podcast, first released in June 2015, exploring the politics and economics of rebalancing the economy.

When this episode was recorded, the devolution agenda was in full swing under the leadership of the then Chancellor George Osborne. Whilst a lot has changed since then, it's clear that debates around rebalancing the economy will remain high on the political agenda for the foreseeable future. 

This episode asks whether rebalancing is possible, or even desirable? And is the government going about it in the right way? Debating this issue are Ron Martin, Professor of Economic Geography at Cambridge University, Henry Overman, Professor of Economic Geography at the LSE, and John Tomaney, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the Bartlett School of Planning at UCL.

 

Professor Edward Glaeser on 'comeback cities'

Centre for Cities was delighted to welcome author of Triumph of the City and Harvard University Professor Edward Glaeser to talk about how major industrial cities in the US came back from the brink, and what lessons UK policymakers can learn from this.

You can follow the slides at: www.centreforcities.org/multimedia/event-catch-up-comeback-cities

The state of our smart cities

Elli Thomas talks to Enrico Motta from MK:Smart and Ben Unsworth from Socrata about how UK cities are using technology to deliver more efficient public services. As well as highlighting examples of successful projects around the country, the conversation touches on some of the challenges in implementing 'smart solutions', such as the need for more investment in infrastructure and concerns over privacy.

City Talks: can cities help balance the nation's books?

In this month's episode, Andrew explores how cities have coped with austerity, the prospects for reducing the deficit in the next Parliament, and the dilemmas that emerge from giving greater fiscal freedoms to local areas. Joining him are Simon Parker from the New Local Government Network and Tony Travers from the London School of Economics.

What do the General Election manifestos hold in store for cities?

Andrew, Ben, Louise and Simon from the team sit down to discuss the main party manifestos and what they may mean for the Election and after. They discuss the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat proposals on jobs, housing, transport and immigration, and how the different parties will approach cities policy if they are in Government after May 7th.

City Talks: Mayors – for and against

In this month's episode, Andrew explores why directly elected mayors are such a rare occurrence in the political landscape of the UK, and whether they are a good idea. Joining him to debate the question are Gisela Stuart MP, a leading proponent of a Birmingham Mayor; the Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales; and Cllr Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Professor Nicholas Crafts on 'A Century of Cities'

Centre for Cities was delighted to host the first in a major event series, City Horizons, at London's iconic Shard, exploring the rise and fall of urban Britain over a century.

In this lecture by University of Warwick Professor of Economics and Economic History, Nick Crafts, the audience heard the economic history of modern Britain through its cities, from the end of the 19th century to the start of the 21st. It explored how and why cities, particularly in the North West thrived during the industrial era, and asked why some places have maintained that momentum, while others across the UK have not.

You can read the Centre for Cities associated report here. You can also view Professor Crafts' slides on slideshare.