For Professionals in Adjacent Fields
Local and Regional Economic Development is Everyone's Business
Economic development shapes the context for almost every profession working in or around the UK public sector. But the field has always presented itself as a closed specialism — with its own language, its own institutions, its own professional community, and an unspoken assumption that if you don’t work within it, you don’t need to understand it.
That assumption is wrong, and its consequences are visible everywhere: planning decisions made without economic intelligence, property investments that misread place trajectory, university strategies that talk about civic engagement without understanding the economic development system they’re trying to engage with, skills provision designed in isolation from real labour market dynamics, policy programmes that repeat the same implementation failures, and community voices marginalised from economic decisions that affect them most directly.
The people who shape places need to understand economic development. Not at the level of professional specialisation, but at the level of genuine working knowledge — the kind that lets you engage credibly, challenge effectively, and contribute in ways that make a difference.
The Local & Regional Economic Development Handbook was written for exactly that purpose. Below you’ll find tailored guidance for each of the professional audiences the handbook serves — what’s most relevant to your work, which chapters to prioritise, and what you’ll be able to do differently once you’ve read it.
planning policy, land use, zoning, property demand
Town and City Planners
Understand the economic forces behind the spatial decisions you make every day. Build the evidence literacy to interrogate economic development arguments — and make better ones yourself.
growth industries, demand and use
Real Estate and Property
The economics of why locations win or lose, how clusters and agglomeration drive commercial demand, and how to engage with the public sector economic development partnerships that increasingly shape your major projects.
Senior Leaders & Elected Members
Leading Economic Development Strategy and Delivery?
Understand what economic development can realistically achieve and what it requires to succeed. Make informed decisions without becoming a practitioner yourself.
You’re responsible for economic development strategy and resource allocation—perhaps as a Director, Council Leader, Combined Authority Mayor, or LEP Board member.
Economic development may not be your only responsibility, or even your primary expertise. But you need to make informed decisions about strategy, resources, and delivery.
You need to understand:
✓ What economic development can realistically achieve
✓ What conditions and resources enable success
✓ How to assess strategy quality and delivery capability
✓ What questions to ask when reviewing proposals
✓ How different interventions connect and reinforce each other
What You’ll Get from This Handbook
Realistic expectations. Chapter 13 on implementation explains why good strategies often fail and what’s needed for success. This helps you set achievable objectives and hold teams accountable.
Quality assessment frameworks. You’ll learn to distinguish evidence-based strategy from box-ticking exercises, and effective programmes from well-intentioned but ineffective initiatives.
Strategic questions. Each chapter includes frameworks for reviewing proposals in that area—what to look for, what questions to ask, what red flags indicate problems.
Integration understanding. Part II shows how different interventions connect, helping you avoid siloed thinking and recognize when strategies need integration.
How to Use This Handbook
You don’t need to read cover-to-cover. Instead:
- Part I gives fundamental concepts (2-3 hours)
- Reference Part II chapters when reviewing specific programmes
- Use Part III when addressing delivery challenges
- Keep on desk for reviewing strategies and business cases
Beyond the Handbook
For ongoing strategic support, consider retained advisory services. Get expertise without permanent overhead, continuity without procurement delays.
[Get Your Copy →] [Explore Advisory Services →]
Students & Researchers
Studying Economic Development or Regional Policy?
Connect academic knowledge to real-world practice. See how theory translates into delivery across hundreds of real projects.
You’re studying economics, geography, urban planning, or public policy. You understand academic theory but want to know how it applies in practice.
Or you’re researching regional development and need practitioner perspectives to complement academic literature.
You need:
✓ Links between theory and practice
✓ Real-world examples showing how concepts apply
✓ Understanding of implementation challenges
✓ Practitioner perspectives on what works
✓ Case studies from UK regional development
What You’ll Get from This Handbook
Theory-practice integration. Part I connects economic theory to practical application, showing how concepts like agglomeration economies, market failures, and institutional economics inform real interventions.
Rich case studies. Examples throughout from Combined Authorities, LEPs, and councils across the UK, plus international comparisons.
Implementation reality. Academic literature often ignores delivery challenges. This handbook addresses politics, stakeholder management, resource constraints, and institutional barriers.
Current practice. Written by an active practitioner, reflecting 2025 policy landscape and contemporary approaches.
Evidence base. Each chapter includes extensive references linking to academic literature, policy documents, and evaluation reports.
[Get Your Copy →]
Teams & Organisations
Building Organizational Capability in Economic Development?
Equip your entire team with shared frameworks and common language for integrated delivery.
You’re responsible for team performance—perhaps leading an economic development team, managing a Combined Authority directorate, or building capability in a council or LEP.
Your team has individual expertise but lacks shared frameworks. Strategy development is fragmented. Different team members speak different professional languages. Integration is difficult.
You need:
✓ Common foundational knowledge across your team
✓ Shared frameworks for strategy and delivery
✓ Integrated thinking across traditional silos
✓ Professional development that builds collective capability
✓ Resources that support continuous learning
What You’ll Get from This Handbook
Shared knowledge base. When everyone reads the same handbook, teams develop common language and frameworks. This dramatically improves collaboration and integration.
Professional development foundation. Use as basis for:
- Team reading groups and discussions
- Strategy development workshops
- New staff onboarding
- Continuous professional development
- Performance conversations
Integration enabler. The handbook’s cross-cutting approach helps teams think beyond silos and recognize connections.
Bulk Order Benefits
Order for your entire team:
- 5+ copies: 15% discount
- 10+ copies: 25% discount
- 20+ copies: 35% discount + free workshop
Organizational Membership Option
Combine handbooks with Economic Development World organizational membership (15 members) for complete capability-building solution.
Custom Workshop Available
Glenn can facilitate a workshop with your team to apply handbook frameworks to your specific context, challenges, and opportunities.
[Contact for Bulk Order →] [Request Team Workshop →]
Ready to advance your knowledge, skills and practice?
