Two-track cities: The challenge of sustaining growth and building opportunity

Article

This paper suggests that UK cities face a number of significant challenges in the years ahead. We have 'two-track' cities - those that have experienced success and renaissance in recent years, and those that have not. All cities still face the challenge of sharing opportunity and have concentrations of deprivation and worklessness. Those cities that have experienced high levels of economic growth face a number of challenges relating to sustaining growth such as congestion and environmental degradation.

This paper suggests that UK cities face a number of significant challenges in the years ahead. We have 'two-track' cities - those that have experienced success and renaissance in recent years, and those that have not. All cities still face the challenge of sharing opportunity and have concentrations of deprivation and worklessness. Those cities that have experienced high levels of economic growth face a number of challenges relating to sustaining growth such as congestion and environmental degradation.

Overall, this paper discusses the key economic challenges that lie ahead for UK cities and the key processes, factors and drivers of economic performance that must be addressed. It sets out the Centre for Cities' agenda for work in this area over the next three years.

Centre for Cities has re-launched as an independent think tank. You can visit them online at http://www.centreforcities.org.

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