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
Email course: Register below for your 17-Daily lessons by email
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...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Port of Tyne demonstrates capabilities of autonomous logistics
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2026-04-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The project was delivered by the North East Automotive Alliance, alongside the Port of Tyne, Oxa, and a consortium...
Local Economies (UK): Homes England marks National Housing Bank launch as part of a once-in-a-generation investment
Source: Local Economies (UK) Author: Vicky Maggiani Date published: 2026-04-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Homes England has formally launched the National Housing Bank, a new government-backed public finance institution designed to...
CityTalk: Malmö’s blueprint for green finance and what other cities can learn
Source: CityTalk Author: Kaj Embren Date published: 2026-04-21 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] By Kaj Embren and Matteo Bizzotto, ICLEI World Secretariat. The Head of the Financial Department is a city official who rarely appears on...
Local Growth and the United Kingdom: UK overhauls regional growth strategy to close economic gap
Source: Local Growth and the United Kingdom Author: unknown Date published: 2026-04-21 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Manchester City Centre Faced with significant disparities in economic performance between its different regions, the UK...