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
United Kingdom x Combined authority: Third tunnel mooted for city’s underground plans
Source: United Kingdom x Combined authority Author: unknown Date published: 2025-08-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] A third tunnel is being considered as part of plans to create an underground network for trains and trams in...
United Kingdom x Combined authority: One of the UK’s most underrated cities set for huge £120m riverside revamp next to indoor arena including 1,000 homes
Source: United Kingdom x Combined authority Author: Celine Marshall Date published: 2025-08-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] A HUGE £120 million revamp is set to come to one of the UK’s most underrated cities as it kickstarts development...
United Kingdom x local: Construction begins on UK’s fourth largest wind farm in the south of Scotland
Source: United Kingdom x local Author: unknown Date published: 2025-08-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The wind farm was paused in 2023 due to tax decisions by the previous UK Government but now has the green light to go ahead....
SmartCitiesWorld News: Seoul to host second Smart Life Week
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-08-21 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Seoul to host second Smart Life WeekThis year’s mantra is “AI for Humanity, Smart Cities Leading Tomorrow,” grounded...
United Kingdom x Combined authority: ‘Mountain to climb’: how Labour is facing a crisis in youth unemployment | Unemployment
Source: United Kingdom x Combined authority Author: nettie_r Date published: 2025-08-21 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] submitted by /u/nettie_r[link][comments] View original article at:
Cities | The Guardian: England to sell eight times more council homes than it built last year, report finds
Source: Cities | The Guardian Author: Rachel Hall Date published: 2025-08-20 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] England will sell off more than eight times as many council homes in 2025-26 as were constructed the previous year, research has...