By Richard Ball
Governments have recognised that cities are engines of growth critical to economic performance and national recovery in the current climate. The large conurbations naturally make the headlines as the “core” cities receiving support towards economic development, but there are smaller cities, which are comparatively and proportionately for their size, punching “well above their weight” where people work, trade and innovate in exciting organisations directly driving significant economic growth. Some have seen very impressive employment growth over the last decade and have bucked the trend in terms of recession forecasts with a credible track record of job creation, business formation and survival.
