Making Greater Manchester great again: What is GM’s plausible path to greater prosperity?
Channel: Resolution Foundation
Date: 2023-09-25

Greater Manchester has long been centre-stage in visions of a more geographically equal country – from the Northern Powerhouse to levelling up. But the rhetoric has outpaced the reality: productivity and wages across the city region remain 10 and 4 per cent below the national average.

What it would take for Greater Manchester to become a much richer city – and who would benefit from such a transformation – is a central theme of the Economy 2030 Inquiry, a major project by the Resolution Foundation and LSE into what a new economic strategy for the UK might look like. Britain as a whole, not just the city itself, need a more successful Greater Manchester. But that will require significant change – on everything from housing and transport to how land is used and the jobs people do.

What would a more productive Greater Manchester look like? Is there a plausible strategy for the city to reach that point – and how does it differ from what is currently in train? What difference will recent public transport improvements make? Should housing continue to be prioritised in city centre land use decisions? And how should we expect success to impact different kinds of residents?

To debate these questions and launch the conclusions of this major Economy 2030 project on Greater Manchester, the Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar. Following a presentation of the report’s highlights, alongside the findings from a deliberative workshop with local residents, we will hear from leading experts on how to deliver greater prosperity for Greater Manchester.

The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido. This project is being run in collaboration with Centre for Cities.

Speakers
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council
Will Garton, Director General for Levelling Up
Jennifer Williams, Northern England Correspondent at the Financial Times
Henry Overman, Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics
Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation (Chair)