THE POWER OF PEOPLE, PLACES & FIRMS
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen people talk about “the cloud”, it sounds weightless, something almost magical floating in the sky. Except that it isn’t. It lives on the ground, in data centres filled with servers that store, process and move staggering amounts of information every second. These data centres consume energy, occupy land, use metals and minerals from global supply chains – and they need vast amounts of water for cooling.
Reading Time: 6 minutesEn el imaginario colectivo, las regiones rurales suelen evocar imágenes de abandono y decadencia. Sin embargo, esto está lejos de reflejar la realidad. Las zonas rurales albergan al 30% de la población de la OCDE y, en algunos casos, están creciendo más rápido que las ciudades en términos de desarrollo, productividad e innovación. Entonces, ¿por qué las narrativas obsoletas sobre el declive rural siguen eclipsando sus contribuciones? Ha llegado el momento de desmontar los mitos que frenan a estas regiones.
Reading Time: 10 minutesIn 11 of the 29 OECD countries included in the OECD Reinforcing Rural Resilience report, rural populations are declining. Discussing all things decentralisation, digitalisation and democracy in Kazakhstan, Shayne MacLachlan from the OECD has a conversation with Zhanerke Kochiigit. This conversation took place at the 2025 OECD Latin American Rural Development Conference, Rural-Urban Connections: Pathways to Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Have a listen.
Reading Time: 4 minutesFrance is now sixth in the European rankings of countries with the most smart cities – and the Greater Paris area is leading the charge. Innovation is no longer optional for municipalities facing complex social and environmental challenges. It is now essential for cities build on the lessons from early pilots and to deliver transformative long-term digital strategies for the benefit of all.
Reading Time: 4 minutesLa France occupe désormais la sixième place du classement européen des pays comptant le plus de villes intelligentes, et la région parisienne est en tête. Face à des défis sociaux et environnementaux complexes, l’innovation n’est plus une option pour les municipalités. Elle est devenue essentielle pour tirer les enseignements des premiers projets pilotes et mettre en œuvre des stratégies numériques transformatrices à long terme, au bénéfice de tous.
Reading Time: 4 minutesAcross the world, cities are quietly delegating the details of daily life to new artificial intelligence (AI) systems that make data driven recommendations about how resources and priorities are distributed. What begins as a promise of efficiency can also quietly define the invisible architecture of who controls public life. The work ahead calls for civic imagination and for ambitious leaders who can link algorithms to accountability.
Reading Time: < 1 minute先進国の多くでは、国内の地域格差が拡大している現実が、全国平均の統計値の裏に隠れてしまっている。大都市圏が急速に成長する一方で、多くの中小都市や地方部はその歩みに追いつけずにいる。わたしたちCIPFAとバーミンガム大学City-REDI （City-Region Economic Development Institute：都市地域経済開発研究所）による最新の英日共同研究（日本語版報告書）は、この課題に真正面から取り組み、イギリスの「第二の都市」バーミンガム（およびウェスト・
Reading Time: 3 minutesPowerful forces are reshaping the world of work. Ageing populations, the transition to green energy, rapid digitalisation, and uneven connectivity are already redrawing the economic landscape. AI tools promise a way out – automating routine tasks, optimising schedules, even predicting maintenance needs before breakdowns. But for local leaders, a dilemma looms: will AI ease labour shortages or put people out of work – and their region?