English Cities on the Rebound

Census results released last week offered some astonishing findings - each of England's big cities is growing, after shedding people only a decade ago. The Economist looks at the phenomenon and the factors that have contributed to the resurgence.

1 minute read

July 23, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

After the preceeding decade, in which all but one of England's eight core cities shed residents, new census data indicates that all eight grew between 2001-2011. "For years, as manufacturing jobs ebbed from the Midlands and the north
and city centres decayed, big conurbations like Liverpool and Manchester
tended to pull down their region's performance, points out John Salt of
University College London. No longer," notes The Economist.

In the article, three key factors are credited with contributing to England's urban comeback: investment ("inspired partly by Lord [Richard] Rogers, an architect and urban booster"), jobs (and the attraction of improving cities to skilled labor forces and their employers), and immigration.

FULL STORY: The city roars back

Saturday, July 21, 2012 in The Economist

Social / Demographics United Kingdom Urban Population England London Manchester City Growth View More

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