COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN CITIES: WHERE DOES THE UK STAND? Professor Michael Parkinson European Institute for Urban Affairs The Art of City Making Conference Birmingham, October 2004

2 This talk will ask 4 questions: 1.What’s happening to European cities? 2.What did we do, why and how? 3.How do the Core Cities compare? 4.So what for cities and regions?

3 1. WHAT’S HAPPENING TO EUROPEAN CITIES? Cities up the political agenda International not national hierarchies Growing networks Growing competition Growing economic opportunities and potential Growing social exclusion

4 Globalisation – power away from nation state Economic and technological restructuring – Porsche-hamburger economy Increasing competition between places – winners and losers Institutional and welfare state restructuring – increased vulnerability

5 Cities matter more not less European governments – targeting and empowering cities Europe – new spaces, opportunities, internationalism, entrepreneurialism New hierarchies Increased concern urban competitiveness

6 2. WHAT WE DID, WHY AND HOW? Measured competitiveness Core Cities in Europe Concerns: Not punching their weight national economy Falling behind London Lack powers, responsibilities and resources Lagging behind European cities

7 Literature on urban development in Europe Literature on urban competitiveness Quantitative data on 50+ European cities Interviews with senior policy makers Questionnaire to 50+ cities Detailed work in 15 – fieldwork in 9 continental cities

8 Ability to attract and maintain firms with stable or rising market shares in an activity, while maintaining stable or increasing standards of living for those who participate in it Competitiveness and competition Competitiveness and urban renaissance

9 Characteristics of competitive city-regions Innovation Diversity Skills Connectivity Strategic capacity Quality of life

10 Measures GDP per capita EU Innovation score card Percentage population higher skill levels Demographic change Unemployment Dependency levels Airport passengers Internet connections Private sector assessment

11 3. HOW DO CORE CITIES COMPARE?

12 Health warning: Europe big and complex Policy transfer tricky Exceptions to all rules Measuring competitiveness is hard Data and boundaries tricky Snapshot sample – not movie universe Long report – short talk

13 UK Cities Are Improving Since 1996 Unemployment down Crime down Population loss down Employment is up Wages up Housing prices up Education standards up Air passengers up But in comparison with European heavy-weights?

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23 Top Internet Hub Cities for Europe 2002 (TeleGeography Inc) CityInternet Bandwidth (Mbps) Rank 2002 Rank 2001 London319,47511 Paris277,80322 Frankfurt194,90235 New York174,18043 Amsterdam163,94254 Copenhagen109,20468 Stockholm94,74177 Brussels81,53686 Milan65,42499 Zurich51,48810-

24 Best Cities to Locate a Business Healey & Baker 2002 CityRank 2002 Rank 1990 London11 Paris22 Frankfurt33 Brussels44 Amsterdam55 Barcelona611 Madrid717 Milan89 Berlin915 Zurich107 Munich1112 Stockholm1419 Manchester1913 Lyon2018 Copenhagen24- Helsinki27-

25 Best Cities in Terms of.... City... Qualified staff... Easy access to markets... External transport links London111 Paris222 Fankfurt333 Munich496 Brussels545 Milan668 Berlin7109 Amsterdam854 Dusselforf9711 Madrid1089 Manchester11 13 Stockholm Barcelona Lyon Helsinki Copenhagen222014

26 Quality of Life Ranking 2001 Mercer Global Information Services (New York=100) CityRankCityRank Zurich1Dusseldorf15 Vienna2Brussels15 Vancouver2Luxembourg18 Sydney4Berlin22 Geneva4Nuremberg25 Frankfurt6Hamburg25 Auckland6Paris31 Copenhagen6Dublin35 Helsinki6Lyon40 Bern10London41 Munich10Madrid41 Amsterdam12Lisbon57 Stockholm12Rome68 Oslo15Athens87

27 4. SO WHAT FOR CITIES AND REGIONS? Bottom of the Nationwide – not Premiership Lack of competitiveness is national problem But it is a bigger urban problem

28 But urban challenge bigger

29 Hierarchy is stable but cities can improve Cities matter to national performance Competitiveness and cohesion not mutually exclusive National and regional government matters

30 National policies matter – powers/ resources Urban system PLC Grown-up government Size matters

31 Cities can help themselves Economy, territory and government Urban and regional competitiveness – a bridge not a barrier

32 Cities levers for improved regional performance Sustain the European model So what for the EU?