Support for small businesses is often delivered separately for urban and rural areas, based on the idea that the barriers to business growth differ geographically. Yet firms in rural and urban areas will also differ in their characteristics, and these may be more important influences on firm...

High-growth firms are seen as vital for economic growth. It is important for policy and theory to consider the barriers faced by firms achieving high growth and those with the potential to do so. This article uses data for 4,858 UK SMEs to investigate the obstacles perceived by two sets of...

Creative cities are seen as important sites for the generation of new ideas, products and processes. Yet, beyond case studies of a few high-profile cities, there is little empirical evidence on the link between local creative industries concentration and innovation. This paper addresses this gap...

L<sc>ee</sc> N. Grim down South? The determinants of unemployment increases in British cities in the 2008-2009 recession, <italic>Regional Studies</italic>. This paper investigates the impact of the 2008-2009 recession on unemployment in the sixty largest cities in Great Britain. The key determinant of changes in...

Cities are drivers of economic growth, but how does growth affect poverty? This report explores the connection between growth and poverty in UK cities, and examines how strategies for economic growth and poverty reduction can be aligned. The report finds that: - There is no guarantee that...

Policy makers in the UK see the creative industries as a key sector for regenerating inner cities and stimulating flagging urban economies. The creative industries may raise productivity through spillovers or as part of the production processes of other firms. Creative firms may squeeze out...

London is one of the world’s major cities, and one of its most diverse. London’s cultural diversity is widely seen as a social asset, but there is little hard evidence on its importance for the city’s businesses. Theory and evidence suggest various links between urban cultural diversity...

There are many reasons why cities with diverse populations may grow faster. Ethnic diversity might attract human capital, tourists or firms, increase productivity through diverse approaches to problem-solving or ethnic minority entrepreneurship. Yet there are also reasons to believe that...