Andrew Carter
Andrew Carter is chief executive of the Centre for Cities
No time like the present to commit to buses
The importance of buses in levelling up cannot be overstated, but political ambition supported by tough funding decisions will required to realise their potential, says Andrew Carter.
Poorer places are exiting COVID with the same problems they started with
Many less affluent places fared better through the pandemic than more prosperous places, but while this is welcome we should not be complacent about their situation, says Andrew Carter.
Urban densification is key to tackling cities' biggest challenges
Andrew Carter outlines why urban densification is a single solution to three of the biggest policy challenges we face, including the greatest one of all - climate change.
The first step on a long levelling up road.
The Government cannot treat the levelling up White Paper’s publication as ‘job done’, and it will take decades to bridge our country’s geographic divides, says Andrew Carter.
Be bold on devolution
Rather than tinkering around the edges of devolution, the Government should use the Levelling Up White Paper to truly reform local government, says Andrew Carter.
Reaching net zero will be delivered at the local level
While the Government has set a national goal, reaching net zero – and the changes that need to be made – will be delivered at the local level, says Andrew Carter.
Government must get education right to 'level up'
How the Government manages school catch-up policy is closely linked to the levelling up agenda, says Andrew Carter of Centre for Cities. And it needs to ensure it gets education right for both children and adults, he adds.
A post-election checklist for metro mayors
Chief executive of Centre for Cities Andrew Carter looks at what metro mayors should focus on after the elections - and the list of priorities includes housing delivery.
So when will Whitehall take a back seat?
Andrew Carter says that with eight mayors up for election, after a year of centrally-mandated COVID restrictions people have one clear message for the Government: ‘Give us the powers and resources to make the right decisions for our areas’.
We need to be careful that we don't 'level down'
If we are to build back better from COVID-19 then we can’t take our more prosperous cities for granted, argues chief executive of Centre for Cities Andrew Carter.
Chancellor must avoid a one-size-fits-all Treasury-led approach to recovery
The chancellor's recovery plan must give local leaders the powers and resources to rebuild their areas, says Andrew Carter.
Vibrant high streets need vibrant cities and towns
The fundamental cause of high street decline is simple: a lack of local spending power, says Andrew Carter. 'People are typically paid more in Cambridge so they have more money to spend, both online and offline, than people in Burnley do'.
Don't defund, side-line or worse still abolish metro-mayors
While it may not realise it now, the Government needs powerful and prominent metro mayors if it is to have any hope of delivering its levelling up agenda, says Andrew Carter.
No sign of workers returning to city centres
The latest data from Centre for Cities' High Streets Recovery Tracker shows no movement at all in workers returning to city centres since late June, and we should not assume this will increase over the autumn, says Andrew Carter.
Helping city centres thrive post-COVID
Concern for our high streets has been exacerbated by the pandemic - but this time it is big cities that are suffering more, says Andrew Carter. If we care about city centres, its down to transport authorities can help
The Government must act now to stop coronavirus 'levelling down'
Chief executive of Centre for Cities Andrew Carter warns that failure to act could create a situation where the Government oversees a levelling down of the country – not a levelling up.
Struggling places will fall even further behind without targeted policies
Every single city and town in the UK will need a localised plan that reflects their circumstances to help them rebuild their economies, says Andrew Carter.
Without a place-focused economic response, pre-coronavirus inequalities will become even more entrenched
In places that were often struggling prior to COVID-19 such as Barnsley or Stoke just 20% of people could work from home, writes Andrew Carter; the virus will have a bigger and longer-term impact in areas where the economy has now ground to a halt.
Failure to act on tackling air pollution would be deadly
With more than one in 19 deaths in UK cities and large towns caused by toxic air, the UK Government needs to take action urgently, says Andrew Carter. There are also steps that city leaders can take to improve the air of their constituents, he adds.
The metro mayor elections will indicate how much politics has realigned
The collapse of Labour's Red Wall should give the Conservative mayors of Tees Valley and the West Midlands cause for optimism, says Andrew Carter - but the most interesting mayoral election to watch could prove to be in Greater Manchester.
