CPD, training and skills in Local and Regional Economic Development
Expert knowledge, proven frameworks, and practical tools for local authority officers, consultants, and practitioners delivering regional growth strategies, innovation programmes, and place-based policy – built from 32 years of working in the field
- 15 hours of on-demand courses covering the 8 disciplines of local and regional economic development
- Practical workbooks (e.g. FDI from scratch; develop a great project idea)
- Community, chatrooms, discussion
- Mentoring and coaching support
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Skills and training in local and regional economic development
The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook
The Practitioner’s Guide for Everyone Whose Work Shapes Places and Economies
Whether you work in planning, property, higher education, skills, government, or community development — the economic forces reshaping UK places are directly reshaping your work. And if you work in economic development itself, you’ve never had a handbook like this one.
The Local & Regional Economic Development Handbook is the comprehensive, honest, practitioner-authored guide to how local economies work, why economic development so often fails to deliver what it promises, and what those working in and around the field can do differently.
Endorsements
“A big shout out to Glenn Athey who has taken his many years in economic development consultancy and created Economic Development World (www.economicdevelopment.world), the UK’s first online community for local and regional economic development that provides CPD, on-demand lean learning, a community of peers and workbooks. Built on three pillars of accelerated learning, shared knowledge and community support, it is a fabulous resource for our industry.
“From what I have seen already, this has the potential to create a step change in how the UK delivers economic development, putting the skills and development of practitioners, whether newbies or old hands, front and centre. Get yourselves signed up, get involved and support this great initiative.”
Adam Breeze, Breeze Strategy
“2026 has to be the year that economic development professionals take the important steps, from policy comment, strategic views, to decisive practictioner application and delivery. Critical is to have an accessible platform for CPD, training, and a focused community to ask questions and discuss best practice and aspects of local and regional economic development. I am delighted that an established and respected colleague Glenn Athey has founded and created this resource on www.economicdevelopment.world .”
Mark Pearson, Head of Economic Development, Reading's Economy & Destination Agency (REDA)

Want Local and Regional Economic Development Strategies that Actually Get Implemented?

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Founded by Glenn Athey, an Economic Development Professional and Advisor With 32 Years of Supporting UK Economic Development
LPIP Fellow, University of Birmingham
Author of "The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook"
Latest News and Advice
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External news
SmartCitiesWorld News: Where US agencies are finding measurable value from AI
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2026-02-18 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] At a glance Who: Euna Solutions. What: Euna has published its State of AI in the Public Sector report. Why: To...
Combined Authorities (England): Major overhaul of how West Midlands projects are funded will deliver ‘greatest benefits for communities’
Source: Combined Authorities (England) Author: Gurdip Thandi Date published: 2026-02-18 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board discussed the Rosewell Review, set up to look at how best...
Local Economies (UK): Central government holding back growth by blocking regional transport development, finds IPPR
Source: Local Economies (UK) Author: Rosie Okumbe Date published: 2026-02-18 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Treasury processes are blocking the development of new transport projects, says think tank“Empowering mayors will accelerate our...
Supercool Ltd: Transport and growth: Reforming transport investment for place-based growth
Source: Supercool Ltd Author: Richard Maclean Date published: 2026-02-18 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Treasury processes, fiscal rules and appraisal frameworks – designed to control risk and manage spending – have too often become...
Upjohn Research: Early Learning Across Decades: Advances in Measuring Head Start Effectiveness
Source: Upjohn Research Author: Chloe Gibbs Date published: 2026-02-17 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] View original article at:
SmartCitiesWorld News: Town of Coventry completes landfill solar project
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2026-02-17 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] At a glance Who: Town of Coventry; Town of East Greenwich; Ameresco; Luminace. What: The Town of Coventry in...


