The Seven Essentials of Effective Place-Based Growth: What Can the Government Learn From City-Region Mayors and Devolved Nations?

As the UK faces persistent regional inequalities, economic uncertainty, and the urgent need for a just transition to net zero, the case for a more empowered, locally driven approach to growth has never been stronger. This briefing sets out seven essential principles for effective place-based growth, drawing on the lived experience and emerging evidence from city-region mayors, devolved nations, the UKRI-funded Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub and the four funded partnerships: Rural Wales, EPIC Northern Ireland, Forth2O (Scotland) and YPIP (Yorkshire).

It aims to inform Labour’s evolving policy agenda on devolution and local economic renewal, offering actionable insights for national government based on what is already working in places.

This work is grounded in the research and practice of the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI) at the University of Birmingham, which is the lead for the LPIP Hub (Strategic Coordination Hub), the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place at the University of Liverpool, and the four LPIP pilot partnerships. These partnerships bring together local authorities, universities, business and civic actors to co-produce evidence-informed strategies for inclusive, sustainable growth. Their work highlights the importance of local capacity, collaborative governance, and long-term investment in unlocking the potential of place.

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Publications

Place-based Business Case and Economic Appraisal: Capacity and Capability

This report, by Alice Pugh, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, examines the capacity and capability of officers working in strategic authorities to develop, commission, scrutinise and use business cases and economic appraisals, while also considering the implications of devolution for place-based investment and assurance. The report draws on a mixed-methods survey

Local Innovations, Shared Lessons: Unpacking HDRC Community Engagement and Partnership Working in London

This research report focuses specifically on public and partner engagement across London’s Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) and comparator boroughs, evaluating how local authorities are reshaping collaborative networks to address health inequalities. The study draws on 18 semi-structured interviews across six London local authorities: Islington, Tower Hamlets, Ealing, Lambeth, Southwark,

Green and Pleasant Land? Rural Resilience in the Welsh Marches

Throughout 2026, the LPIP Hub at City-REDI, University of Birmingham is examining the resilience of the Welsh Marches, the historic and intensely rural places that have long formed the border between England and Wales. The project comprises this first report, examining what published data tell us about the readiness of