Suchergebnisse

The idea of industrial clusters forming the basis of regional economic growth has moved rapidly from academe to policy. This research, which forms part of the ESRC Cities: Cohesion and Competitiveness Programme, suggests that greater clarity is needed in defining and applying the concept in different regions. Several different types of clusters have already been identified. The precise basis of their relative success also seems to be different according to the degree of globalisation present and the position that regions occupy in their national hierarchies. In the case of London and the South East, the research shows that the internal characteristics of firms, the 'pick and mix' possibilities of a large agglomeration, and its position as an international trading gatweway, are critical for successful innovation in the region.

This report aims to improve understanding of the true cost of inadequate housing to EU Member States and to suggest policy initiatives that might help address its social and financial consequences. The full impact of poor housing tends to be evident only in the longer term, and the savings to publicly funded services, the economy and society that investment in good quality accommodation can deliver are not always obvious. While housing policies are the prerogative of national governments, many Member States face similar challenges in this field. In some, projects to improve inadequate housing have already provided valuable practical experience that can usefully be shared, and this report presents eight such case studies. While improving poor living conditions would be costly, the report suggests the outlay could be recouped quite quickly from savings on healthcare and a range of publicly funded services – in the EU as a whole, for every €3 invested in improving housing conditions, €2 would come back in savings in one year

Following publication of the government's White Paper on cities (2000), the question of what makes some cities more successful than others has become an increasingly important policy issue. This topical book tackles this question from differing perspectives. Although previous work has explored particular facets of competitiveness, this volume is the first to do so in a systematic way that combines theory, evidence and policy implications. Bringing together leading experts on urban economic performance, it provides a new look at the issue of urban competitiveness and offers new insights into the factors that shape competitiveness