THE POWER OF PEOPLE, PLACES & FIRMS
Reading Time: 3 minutesPopulations in rural regions are ageing and declining faster than in urban areas in OECD countries, especially in remote rural areas. While these shifts bring clear challenges, they also bring somewhat unexpected opportunities. How can governments make the most of them to boost prospects for rural communities?
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.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAs global energy prices rise as a result of war in Ukraine, the switch to renewable energy has taken on a new urgency. With ambitious new targets to cut reliance on Russian fossil-fuel imports and increase energy security, what will the transition mean for rural communities? How can they make the most of it?
Reading Time: 4 minutesTwo years after the onset of COVID-19, the future of work remains a topic of lively, even heated, debate. Early in the pandemic, some were quick to announce the demise of the centre-city office. The apparent success of remote work, they said, would lead to a revival of the suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas, with “work hubs” popping up as needed.
Reading Time: 4 minutesMining regions face acute challenges in terms of well-being. National plans and policies alone will not bring well-being gains to mining communities.
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy 2050, up to 55% of the world population will be living in urban areas, consuming 80% of the world’s food. Already around a third of produced food goes to waste at a value of USD 940 billion annually.
Reading Time: 4 minutesTo further help in that process, we’re launching a new OECD Regional Recovery Platform that will help national and subnational governments track the recovery using internationally comparable subnational data, and support the development of policies to build back better and ultimately bring regions together.
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe ability to telework provided an important source of resilience for people, firms and places during the pandemic. In OECD countries, teleworking grew from around 16% of employees before the crisis to around 37% during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.