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
Bloomberg CityLab: Atlanta Proposes $1 Billion Bond to Rehab World’s Busiest Airport
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Aashna Shah Date published: 2025-08-11 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Atlanta is proposing a $1 billion municipal-bond borrowing to help finance infrastructure improvements at the Hartsfield-Jackson...
Economic Innovation Group: AI and Jobs: The Final Word (Until the Next One)
Source: Economic Innovation Group Author: Stephen Leverton Date published: 2025-08-10 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] By Sarah Eckhardt and Nathan Goldschlag Recent tremors in the labor market are being pinned on Artificial Intelligence. A...
Bloomberg CityLab: New York Warns of $34 Billion Budget Hole, Biggest Since 2009 Crisis
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: unknown Date published: 2025-08-08 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] New York state’s cumulative three-year budget gap has swelled to $34 billion, rising 25% from Governor Kathy Hochul’s estimate in January...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Helsinki reduces GHG emissions by 16 per cent
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-08-08 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Helsinki reduces GHG emissions by 16 per centReport also monitors the implementation of key environmental protection...
CityTalk: Cities stepping up to the challenge: What climate migration means for local governments
Source: CityTalk Author: Barbara Riedemann Date published: 2025-08-06 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Whether you call it climate migration, climate mobility, or climate displacement, people needing to leave their homes because of climate...
Economic Innovation Group: Auto Industry Myths That Belong in the JunkyardAuto Industry Myths That Belong in the JunkyardAuto Industry Myths That Belong in the Junkyard
Source: Economic Innovation Group Author: Stephen Leverton Date published: 2025-08-05 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] The post Auto Industry Myths That Belong in the JunkyardAuto Industry Myths That Belong in the JunkyardAuto Industry Myths...

