Reading Time: 4 minutesThe global pandemic transformed the way we work and shop. While many businesses were able to weather the storm of the global pandemic shutdowns, running a small business along our Main Streets is now more complex.
Category: Local Development
Back to basics: what works in promoting productivity?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOver several years, the Innovation Growth Lab (IGL) has worked with the UK government and the European Commission on a new approach to this problem. It has set up experimentation funds to test new interventions to boost innovation and productivity among SMEs.
Growing pains: Remote work will not solve housing affordability in big cities
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe rise of remote work could still entice people to move out of big cities. But as a general trend, the price of housing in and around cities has continued to rise since 2020. What should policy makers do?
Can smart cities help achieve the SDGs?
Reading Time: 4 minutesCities will be central to getting the SDGs back on track. Their proximity to local businesses, residents, and civil society also means they are uniquely placed to mobilise collective action towards the SDGs. But 70% of OECD cities have still not achieved more than two SDGs.
Daring to do: Young social entrepreneurs doubling down on business with impact
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat do young social entrepreneurs need to do to ensure their ideas and experiences are woven into future social entrepreneurship policies? This article has the answers…
Playing its part – why and how video games have become a crucial communication channel for policy makers
Reading Time: 3 minutesVideo games are a truly global, popular phenomenon. According to recent estimates, over 3.2bn people – roughly 40% of the world’s population –played a video game in the past year. The player base stretches across the planet, with games played extensively in every continent and increasingly in developing nations.
Land-value capture: Money doesn’t grow on trees, it grows below them
Reading Time: 3 minutesA smart policy instrument called “land-value capture” can help governments pay for expensive infrastructure and other public services without drawing from their general budget. Let’s look at how they do it.
Reflecting on the future of the ”creative class” in regional development
Reading Time: 5 minutesDr. Richard Florida encourages cities and regions to consider how diversity, creativity and innovation can contribute to attracting creative talent and investment, and shape inclusive and sustainable development. He then unpacks how non-metropolitan areas can benefit from a greater influx of creative people and capital, especially in the wake of the pandemic.