Levelling Up Left Behind Places: The Scale and Nature of the Economic and Policy Challenge
Authors: Professor Ron Martin, Dr Ben Gardiner, Professor Andy Pike, Professor Peter Sunley and Professor Peter Tyler
The book presents novel analyses of the scale, nature and geographies of the economically ‘left behind’ place problem. It examines why past urban and regional policies, going as far back as 1928, have not succeeded in achieving a more spatially equitable distribution of economic prosperity and opportunity. Having identified significant limitations and weaknesses of past policy, the book argues that a major transformative spatial policy model will be necessary to reduce geographical economic inequalities.
Key foundational principles are set out for a mission-orientated strategy, including:
- Embedding geography in national policy making and economic governance.
- Commitment of resources on a scale appropriate to the magnitude of the task.
- A federated system of city-region authorities with substantial devolved powers and funding.
- Strengthening of a bottom-up, place-based dimension to policy design and implementation.
Although the book is focused on the UK, there are lessons from the policy discussion that will be of relevance for other countries in which governments face challenges of levelling up those of their towns, cities and regions that have been left behind.
Watch Andy Pike, one of the authors of the RSA Policy Impact book, Levelling Up Left Behind Places: The Scale and Nature of the Economic and Policy Challenge, discusses the policy recommendations from the book.
Watch the recording of the Regions Cities Industry webinar ‘Levelling Up Left Behind Places: The Scale and Nature of the Economic and Policy Challenge’ held on the 27th January 2022, with Chair: Gillian Bristow, Cardiff University and Speakers: Ron Martin, University of Cambridge; Ben Gardiner, Cambridge Econometrics; Andy Pike, Newcastle University; Peter Sunley, University of Southampton and Peter Tyler, University of Cambridge.
Books published in the Policy Impact Book Series are outcomes from the RSA funded Policy Expo Grant Scheme. Previously published books in the series:
Books in the Policy Impact Book Series are accessible as hardcopy and online to RSA members via the RSA Lounge or can be purchased online at www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781032244341/levelling-left-behind-places-ron-martin-ben-gardiner-andy-pike-peter-sunley-peter-tyler.
Read the Open Access article here: (2022) ‘Levelling up’ the UK: reinforcing the policy agenda, Regional Studies, Regional Science, 9:1, 794-817, DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2022.2150562