Employment Location in Regional Economic Planning : A Case Study of the West Midlands

Originally published in 1970. During the times of planned population movements and new towns, with a growing interest in specifically regional policies by government, this book considers the problems of development within regions. It presents research on the facts and trends of employment generated by the regional economy and its relationship with the size and socio-economic character of local workforce, using the example of the West Midlands as testing ground for policy. The authors come from the viewpoint of needing to develop understanding of population, housing, employment and communications – the way our regional economy and society worked, before organised de-centralisation could be planned appropriately. Within the field of economic planning they ask what analysis of the information available tell us about development possibilities within a region. The book looks at trends in employment growth, the character and distribution of manufacturing industries and service industries and the locational consequences, to build a picture of the regional economic system. It then considers supply and demand and measures the ways towns vary in detailed case studies.