Essential Economic Development
A Foundation Course for Local and Regional Economic Development
17 lessons, 2.5 hours. Learn the fundamentals of local and regional economic development for free.
Access the course via our community learning site. Or subscribe via email to get a daily lesson emailed directly to you.
Access via our community learning site:
Access the course via our community learning site here. The 17 lessons are structured as follows:
1. Rationale for Local and Regional Economic Development
2. Overview of themes and functions
3. Understanding economics and economic trends
4. Megatrends
5. Theory of Economic Development
6. Policy
7. Strategy
8. Intelligence & insight
9. Industrial development & clusters
10. Enterprise & entrepreneurship
11. Inward investment / FDI
12. Labour markets
13. Education & skills
14. Economic Participation, Employability and Unemployment
15. Poverty & inequality
16. Place & infrastructure
17. Low carbon, climate change & sustainability
Register here to get free access to the Foundation course’s 17 lessons
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SmartCitiesWorld News: London mayor appoints chair of new AI and Jobs Taskforce
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2026-04-30 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] London mayor appoints chair of new AI and Jobs TaskforceThe taskforce will identify the most significant near-term...
Bloomberg CityLab: Six Takeaways From CityLab 2026’s Final Day in Madrid
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Linda Poon Date published: 2026-04-29 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Speakers discussed topics from playgrounds to the night economy. View original article at:
Local Economies (UK): Fixing the foundations
Source: Local Economies (UK) Author: Vicky Maggiani Date published: 2026-04-29 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The Department for Transport has officially opened the Structures Fund, a significant new source of capital for addressing...
Bloomberg CityLab: Cities Need to Boost Green Investment for Safety, EIB Chief Says
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Daniel Basteiro, Francine Lacqua Date published: 2026-04-29 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Cities are increasing investment in the green transition to protect against the potentially catastrophic effects...
Bloomberg CityLab: Highlights from Bloomberg CityLab 2026 in Madrid
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Linda Poon Date published: 2026-04-28 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The conference kicked off with remarks from the mayors of Madrid, London and more. View original article at:
Centre for Cities: City Talks: What these elections could mean for local power
Source: Centre for Cities Author: unknown Date published: 2026-04-28 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Chief Executive Andrew Carter is joined by Caitlin Rollison, External Affairs and Policy Manager, and Jess Tulasiewicz, Head of Public...
On Sale Today! The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook
Today's the day. The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook is now available in hardback via amazon. After two years of writing — and thirty-two years of practice behind it — the book is out! I've also recorded a ten-minute video walkthrough that takes you...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Cities call for accelerated transition away from fossil fuels
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2026-04-27 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] At a glance Who: Colombia and the Netherlands governments; C40 Cities; ICLEI. What: Cities around the world are...
The Arithmetic of Business Survival
What Every Economic Development Practitioner Needs to Know About Business Finance Enterprise support is one of the most well-intentioned areas of economic development work — and one of the most frequently misdirected. We celebrate entrepreneurship, fund business...