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?
Want to Persuade Political Leaders to Invest in Economic Development?
Struggling to Make the Case for Innovation Funding?
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
Local Economies (UK): The Guardian view on deprived neighbourhoods: incomes as well as places need a boost | Editorial
Source: Local Economies (UK) Author: Editorial Date published: 2025-10-30 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] What does it mean for a neighbourhood to be poor? Since the 1970s, the UK government has regularly sought to answer this question by...
City Economies: CNBC’s UK Exchange newsletter: UK backs innovation hub Cambridge, even as rapid expansion tests the city’s limit
Source: City Economies Author: unknown Date published: 2025-10-28 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] This report is from this week's CNBC's UK Exchange newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.The dispatchThe U.K. economy, along...
Econ Dev Show Podcast – Economic Development: Economic Development 196: AI and the Future of Economic Development with Dane Carlson
Source: Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development Author: unknown Date published: 2025-10-26 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Social Network Quick Links View original article at:
Amsterdam Economic Board: Collective strength of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
Source: Amsterdam Economic Board Author: Jet van Eeghen Date published: 2025-10-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The major transitions of our time were on the agenda: from energy to education, from circular work to the jobs of the future....
Local Growth and the United Kingdom: Hundreds of charity jobs at risk without clarity on planned fund, membership body warns
Source: Local Growth and the United Kingdom Author: unknown Date published: 2025-10-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Almost 24,000 vulnerable people, 650 jobs and 64 organisations are at risk without further clarity on how an upcoming...
City Economies: End managed decline and make the City great again
Source: City Economies Author: Matthew Elliott Date published: 2025-10-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] With the Budget fast approaching, Britain faces a simple choice: double down on managed decline or go all in for growth. After nearly...