We have published the key findings from our ongoing campaign titled ‘Positioning Cities for Prosperity,’ following events in our Manchester and Exeter offices.
Our report is based on themes emerging from a series of events called ‘City Exchanges’, where we are bringing together leaders across communities and businesses to look at how we create the towns and cities of the future as well as examine real estate’s role in providing the platform for society to thrive.
The first City Exchange took place in Manchester in November 2019 followed by Exeter in January 2020. YouGov polls to members of the public have provided a starting point for the conversation at each of these events and it’s clear that each city has its own take on what is important to increase prosperity.
For the property industry to actively drive prosperity, an understanding of the nuances of local and regional context is vital. We have had years of cities improving, with urbanisation tightly correlated with economic and social development.
In 2018, an estimated 55.3% of the world’s population lived in urban settlements. By 2030, urban areas are projected to house 60% of people globally and one in every three people will live in cities with at least half a million inhabitants. This global reality – that cities drive both opportunity and inequality – has dominated the debate around the prosperity successes and challenges across the UK.
The themes from the Manchester and Exeter events have been captured in a report that is available to view here.
