Cities can level up the country, grow the economy and tackle the climate crisis if they have the right resources and extra powers, urban leaders have said.
In an open letter to Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove, to coincide with the LGA’s second annual Urban Summit, they say the UK remains one of the most centralised countries in the developed world.
More must be done to improve local areas’ ability to raise vital funding, increase productivity and improve people’s health and wellbeing, say the letter’s signatories: Mayor Marvin Rees, Chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board and of Core Cities UK; Cllr Georgia Gould, Chair of London Councils; and Cllr John Merry CBE, Chair of Key Cities.
The letter references the work of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Urban Commission, co-chaired by RSA Chief Executive Andy Haldane and Mayor Rees, which is exploring how best to unlock cities’ potential.
The letter says that “cities have a long and proud history of being at the forefront of economic growth and development in our country” and that the Levelling Up White Paper rightly states that every area of the UK should have a globally competitive city.
But it warns the RSA’s research thus far confirms the UK’s cities “lag behind their global competitors when it comes to productivity and growth” and highlights the links between income and health disparities.
The letter says that the summit, held in March, could be used as a basis to work with government on developing a long-term plan for cities, to unlock the full potential of places for years to come.