Regions, Cities & Local Areas

The world is becoming increasingly urbanised with cities seen as the engines of growth on which national performance is based. However, a place’s assets and institutions influence their economic prospects. Ensuring the growth of cities and localities in a way which benefits all is a challenge.

We provide insight by advising you on the likely impact of a trend or particular policy on a place through city-based, local or regional analysis, forecasting and modelling. You can then take advantage of emerging opportunities, or, mitigate against any adverse effects.

Some challenging questions we can help you answer:

How is Brexit and the related effects of migration, trade and investment likely to affect my region, city or local area?
How do I measure the impact of specific local policy initiatives in my area?
What is driving the productivity growth of my region, city or local area and how can policy be used to influence or improve the situation?

Our Regions, Cities & Local Areas work

Economic impacts of new or improved rail lines

The UK Department for Transport wanted to explore the link between rail investment and local growth, but there was a lack of ex-post evaluation evidence. The hypotheses were that new and improved rail lines: Increased convenience for local people Increase attractivenes...

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Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Northampton growth corridor

In March 2016, the National Infrastructure Commission was asked to consider how to maximise the potential of the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor. Cambridge Econometrics together with SQW carried out an economic study to inform the Commission’s work. The stu...

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Economic forecasting support to the East of England

We provide the East of England LGA with forecasting support.

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Preparing for Brexit

This is the first assessment of Brexit across key indicators and sectors at a sub-national level under five different scenarios.

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Economic impact of NHS spending in the Black Country

This exploratory study commissioned for the Black Country Sustainability and Transformation Plan was led by ICF and sought to better understand the economic footprint (‘impact’) of the NHS in the Black Country. CE’s main role in the project was to apply economic impact a...

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Northern Powerhouse independent economic review

This project, undertaken with SQW, CE provided economic analysis and projections to underpin Transport for the North’s development of a transport infrastructure plan.

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Regions, Cities & Local Areas blog posts

The UK – an imbalanced economy

Posted by: Ben Gardiner

Publish date: 11th March, 2019 | 11:46am11/3/2019

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In the first of three blogs focusing on imbalance in the UK’s economy our Director, Ben Gardiner, takes a look at spatial imbalance and productivity.

We find that London pulls away from the other UK regions in terms of productivity and that the regional productivity diverge…

(Never) mind the gap!

Posted by: Ben Gardiner

Publish date: 28th February, 2018 | 8:30am28/2/2018

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It is nearly four years since the inception of the Northern Powerhouse. Has the performance gap between the Greater South East and the rest of England narrowed?

In short, no. Recent newspaper articles such as the following refer to the persistence of the gap between the nor…

Does productivity necessarily increase with city size?

Posted by: Guest Blog

Publish date: 31st January, 2018 | 12:39pm31/1/2018

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In his second guest blogpost Ron Martin, Professor of Economic Geography, University of Cambridge explores whether the productivity of Britain’s northern cities would improve by substantially expanding their size, or seeking to merge them into a single very large city.

O…

The geographical dimension of the productivity problem

Posted by: Guest Blog

Publish date: 28th November, 2017 | 2:59pm28/11/2017

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By Ron Martin, Professor of Economic Geography, University of Cambridge
In his budget speech (24 November, 2017), the Chancellor of the Exchequer made much of the need to raise national productivity.

Since 2007, and the onset of the financial crisis, productivity growth in t…

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Testimonials

Cambridge Econometrics offer a powerful combination of hard-edged data analysis and incisive policy proposals, which are based firmly on evidence and are practical, but also innovative and thoughtful. Their work is helping us to significantly influence both local and national economic policy

Core Cities

Our Regions, Cities & Local Areas work

Economic impacts of new or improved rail lines

Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Northampton growth corridor

Economic forecasting support to the East of England

Preparing for Brexit

Economic impact of NHS spending in the Black Country

Northern Powerhouse independent economic review