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)

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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: Global startup challenge announced for Smart City Expo 2025
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-08-20 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) and its partners have announced the Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge is...
Econ Dev Show Podcast – Economic Development: The Power of Collaboration in Economic Development with Stacie LoVan of the Greater Des Moines Partnership
Source: Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development Author: unknown Date published: 2025-08-17 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Social Network Quick Links View original article at:
United Kingdom x local: Free AI skills training for West Midlands’ growth plans
Source: United Kingdom x local Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-08-15 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Free AI skills training for West Midlands’ growth plansThe Growth Plan’s AI training package also includes...
Bloomberg CityLab: Meet the Woman Balancing the Budget of New York City’s Transit System
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Michelle Kaske Date published: 2025-08-14 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Each morning, on her commute into lower Manhattan, Jai Patel can tally up the costs of New York City’s vast transit system. View...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Los Angeles opens major solar and battery storage centre
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-08-14 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Los Angeles opens major solar and battery storage centreWith the second phase of Eland completed, the project is...
Texas Economic Development Blogs | TxEDC: How to Leverage Texas Talent for Business Growth
Source: Texas Economic Development Blogs | TxEDC Author: Aaron Demerson Date published: 2025-08-14 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] By Aaron Demerson (TxEDC) and Commissioner Joe Esparza (TWC) In Texas, we’ve always believed that people are...

