Many communities across the OECD are struggling to keep pace with economic change. Persistent disparities in employment rates, skills mismatches and economic inactivity reflect a fractured geography of opportunities, and long-lasting effects of economic shocks and structural change. The consequences are not just economic, but also deeply personal, with potential to fuel disillusionment and to reinforce cycles of disadvantage. Yet, successful examples of transformation highlight that decline is not inevitable. Experiences from success stories can inform how to both better address scars from the past as well as more proactively adapt to future transitions. This paper provides a fresh perspective on place transformation, in particular one that better reflects the role of “soft infrastructure” like local leadership and place identity, bridges local and external drivers of change, and better integrates economic and social outcomes.
Forthcoming
Unpacking place transformation
Will be released on
