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?

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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
Media: UN-HABITAT WORLD CITIES REPORT 2022
Source: Media Author: unknown Date published: 2025-07-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Introduction: UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022- Envisioning the Future of CitiesUN-Habitat recently released its biannual World Cities Report 2022:...
Latest News | Enterprise Ireland: Over 6,500 Irish SMEs directly helped by National Enterprise Hub in its first 12 months
Source: Latest News | Enterprise Ireland Author: unknown Date published: 2025-07-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Marking the one-year anniversary of the National Enterprise Hub, pictured (l-r) Conor O’Donovan, Head of NEH at Enterprise...
Media: INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY: TOWARDS KNOWLEDGE-BASED URBAN FUTURES
Source: Media Author: unknown Date published: 2025-07-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Chapter 9 of the World Cities Report 2022 SummaryThe growing need to decarbonize life as we know it, and the rapid advancement of the digital sector...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Seattle makes climate upgrades to fire stations
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-07-23 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Seattle makes climate upgrades to fire stationsFire Station #35 in Crown Hill has many recently completed...
Inward Investment Insight: Cobbler’s Children: investment teams fail to invest in their teams
Inward Investment Insight Adam Breeze 2025-07-22 Like the fabled cobbler’s children with no shoes, too many inward investment teams preach about talented workforce; high-end skills and cutting-edge tech ecosystems - while simultaneously failing to invest in their own...
SmartCitiesWorld News: Portsmouth bids to become nature-positive city
Source: SmartCitiesWorld News Author: SmartCitiesWorld news team Date published: 2025-07-22 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Portsmouth bids to become nature-positive cityPortsmouth City Council will work with environmental groups,...

