Policy Report Series Townscapes - A Universal Basic Infrastructure for the UK

But it builds on these The private sector provides some other community assets ideas of collective services and infrastructure and the that form part of the social infrastructure, contribute importance of providing them not just for individuals but to the health or otherwise of the high street and help also for improving local and national economic growth and shape people’s identity and pride in t. [...] The English locations similar places in Germany (in the former East and in the also compare badly in terms of most of the elements of Ruhr) for comparison. [...] After setting out the basic findings, we discuss the implications for policy in the UK: why do the differences matter? How would better infrastructure and services contribute to the local and national economy? What are the different needs of struggling and thriving places? What are the policy levers that can make a difference? Our argument is rooted in the need for productivity to increase across. [...] continued vii viii ix x xi Townscapes: A Universal Basic Infrastructure for the UK 11 Contents Private infrastructure Figure 5 highlights both the variation across the selected places and the change over the decade in each of the Between 2014 and 2023, the availability of banks and different universal basic infrastructure indicators. [...] Inadequate infrastructure practices and number of GPs) or the Department of holds back large numbers of communities and the people Education (local schools and colleges and number of living in them, restricts the jobs they are able to do and teachers and lecturers), any central targets for expanding denies them the amenities available to others elsewhere.