David Waite

Implementing Alternative Economic Development Approaches: The Possibilities and Limits of “Pick and Mix” | Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy Urban policymakers are adopting “alternative” economic development approaches such as doughnut economics and the circular economy as part of efforts to address ecological challenges in parallel to concerns about enduring social and economic inequalities. These alternative approaches are often combined in “pick-and-mix” fashion in efforts to realize complementary and mutually reinforcing benefits; mobilize diverse actors, including citizens and politicians, around plural visions of change; and address a range of city-specific challenges. However, a prerequisite for “picking and mixing” different approaches successfully is careful consideration of the logic of these approaches and how they might be put into practice alongside each other. We draw on Sabato’s notion of the eco-social-growth trilemma to suggest a need to surface potential tensions, especially when combining approaches that have different emphases on the synergies or trade-offs between economic (growth), ecological, and social objectives. The paper concludes by proposing a decision-making framework to enable policymakers to harness tensions productively by exploring and articulating the possibilities and limits of a “pick-and-mix” approach.

New policy guidelines paper - with a super bunch of colleagues - on the varied economic development approaches urban leaders are looking to, and the implementation issues attcahed to them - utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/...

11.10.2025 09:58 — 👍 1    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

How to green your city? Boundary challenges and net zero place leadership Urban leaders are increasingly seeking to navigate to net zero emissions whilst balancing wider economic and social priorities. Facing the leaders tasked with delivering these ambitions are a set o...

New paper with my colleagues Grant Allan and @graemeroy.bsky.social - www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10..... We look at the different boundary issues confronting urban leaders when pursuing the net zero agenda. The research is centred on case study research exploring Scotland’s four major cities.

04.10.2025 09:33 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

University of Glasgow, Centre for Public Policy. From the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, School of Social and Political Sciences, and Centre for Public Policy. From agglomeration to quality of life and wellbeing: The changing dimensions of urban economic policy. Professor Frank van Oort.

Join us for a talk from Prof Frank van Oort 💬 💡

From agglomeration to quality of life and wellbeing:
The changing dimensions of urban economic policy'

26 June, 10am - 11.30am
📍@uofgasbs.bsky.social

🎟️ Spaces are limited - book on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/from-agglo...

05.06.2025 08:53 — 👍 4    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0

I am co-editing this new issue on “Regional Development towards new Regional Futures” for @cjres.bsky.social (details below 👇🏻) if you work on alternative #regionaldevelopment frameworks, the spatial and policy implications of #heterodox economics, #growth and #post-growth debates: this is for you!

26.03.2025 10:59 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Framing Economic Policies When There is Zero-Sum Thinking: Can Economic Policy Address Political Division? - NIESR How current UK macroeconomic policy-making interfaces with zero-sum thinking.

How can policymakers counter the rise of divisive zero-sum thinking?

UofG Principal @uofgvc.bsky.social & Economics Professor @graemeroy.bsky.social explore its impact on political polarisation and offer solutions for inclusive economic growth.

Read more on the @niesrorg.bsky.social blog ⬇️

21.01.2025 16:22 — 👍 12    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 0

Understanding the impact of inclusive ‘innovation District’ Initiatives at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Understanding the impact of inclusive ‘innovation District’ Initiatives at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com

Come join us! Fully-funded #PhDposition 📢

Explore how inclusive #InnovationDistricts, like Manchester's £1.7bn Sister district, can drive sustainability & social inclusion without gentrification.

Work with Kieron Flanagan & Elvira Uyarra
Apply by 5 March 2025 👉 bit.ly/3CaMiXc

16.01.2025 11:02 — 👍 1    🔁 5    💬 1    📌 1

These are 10 of my favourite #UrbanEconomics articles published in academic journals in 2024 (continues a tradition started in 2018, order is alphabetical by first author, no ranking implied):

27.12.2024 16:23 — 👍 33    🔁 11    💬 1    📌 0

A photo of the IPPO and Centre for Public Policy pop-up banners

We recently brought together academics, representatives from national/local government and other stakeholders for a roundtable discussion based on the International Public Policy Observatory's new report on innovation districts💡💬

Find out more and read the report: www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

13.12.2024 10:15 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

How China Escaped the Poverty Trap by Yuen Yuen Ang | Paperback | Cornell University Press WINNER OF THE 2017 PETER KATZENSTEIN BOOK PRIZE"BEST OF BOOKS IN 2017" BY FOREIGN AFFAIRSWINNER OF THE 2018 VIVIAN ZELIZER PRIZE BEST BOOK AWARD IN ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY"How China Escaped the Poverty Tra...

I thought this book (published in 2016) was really useful - www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

30.11.2024 10:58 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Labour's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves holding the budget box outside number 10.

What does the Budget mean for regional growth and productivity? @graemeroy.bsky.social, Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli (@uofgvc.bsky.social), and Dr David Waite share their insights in a policy brief for The Productivity Institute blog.

Read more on the #SocSciHub: tinyurl.com/mu8nkpvu

19.11.2024 11:18 — 👍 6    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

The 2024 Budget and regional productivity - The Productivity Institute The new government has set economic growth as its “number one” mission.

What does the Budget do for regional growth and productivity? Graeme Roy offers his thoughts in a Policy Commentary for the Productivity Policy Unit: www.productivity.ac.uk/news/the-202...

13.11.2024 16:34 — 👍 5    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0