Yunze Wang
@yz18.bsky.social
Analyst at Centre for Cities. Housing, economic development and cool statistics. I like news and desserts. Views my own.
🇺🇦❄️
🇺🇦❄️
The ONS is taking a ‘quality over quantity’ approach in its ongoing reform.
This is not itself an issue. But the current signs are that a lot of local/regional data could be at risk. This has big implications for policymakers at all levels and deserves more attention. A short thread:
This is not itself an issue. But the current signs are that a lot of local/regional data could be at risk. This has big implications for policymakers at all levels and deserves more attention. A short thread:
Recent APS data showed major shifts in city productivity — including convergence between London and the big cities.
If the APS disappears, so does our ability to track these trends.
This week’s blog explores the implications 👇
buff.ly/EVOsT40
If the APS disappears, so does our ability to track these trends.
This week’s blog explores the implications 👇
buff.ly/EVOsT40
December 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The ONS is taking a ‘quality over quantity’ approach in its ongoing reform.
This is not itself an issue. But the current signs are that a lot of local/regional data could be at risk. This has big implications for policymakers at all levels and deserves more attention. A short thread:
This is not itself an issue. But the current signs are that a lot of local/regional data could be at risk. This has big implications for policymakers at all levels and deserves more attention. A short thread:
Reposted by Yunze Wang
What to see how I turned thousands of live buses into charts like this? And what it all means for mayors wanting to integrate their public transport systems?
Come to see me talk about all this and more to our event at 1pm: www.centreforcities.org/event/report...
Come to see me talk about all this and more to our event at 1pm: www.centreforcities.org/event/report...
November 4, 2025 at 11:42 AM
What to see how I turned thousands of live buses into charts like this? And what it all means for mayors wanting to integrate their public transport systems?
Come to see me talk about all this and more to our event at 1pm: www.centreforcities.org/event/report...
Come to see me talk about all this and more to our event at 1pm: www.centreforcities.org/event/report...
London is still one of the most productive places and a fiscal net contributor. But its economy has continued to slow.
This has national implications: the UK's economy cannot prosper if the most successful ~25% of it is stagnant.
Critics of London should be careful what they wish for.
This has national implications: the UK's economy cannot prosper if the most successful ~25% of it is stagnant.
Critics of London should be careful what they wish for.
London’s economy is in trouble 📉
What has happened to London’s productivity and economy according to available data? 👇
buff.ly/KN2ee41
What has happened to London’s productivity and economy according to available data? 👇
buff.ly/KN2ee41
London’s economy is in trouble - Centre for Cities
London’s productivity decline shows the capital’s success cannot be taken for granted.
buff.ly
October 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
London is still one of the most productive places and a fiscal net contributor. But its economy has continued to slow.
This has national implications: the UK's economy cannot prosper if the most successful ~25% of it is stagnant.
Critics of London should be careful what they wish for.
This has national implications: the UK's economy cannot prosper if the most successful ~25% of it is stagnant.
Critics of London should be careful what they wish for.
We went through the labour data side of productivity recently. This one looks at GVA. The UK's secondary cities have higher economic growth than other places post-2019.
This is a departure from the past.
This is a departure from the past.
Since 2019, large cities’ economies have decoupled from the national trend and grown faster than the rest of the country 📈
What is driving the recent growth of large cities? 👇
buff.ly/MStC5PZ
What is driving the recent growth of large cities? 👇
buff.ly/MStC5PZ
October 22, 2025 at 10:42 AM
We went through the labour data side of productivity recently. This one looks at GVA. The UK's secondary cities have higher economic growth than other places post-2019.
This is a departure from the past.
This is a departure from the past.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
I don't understand what is going on with sub-national productivity data in the UK. @centreforcities.bsky.social doing their best here, but I'd be wary drawing any substantive conclusions: www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
How productive are the UK’s big cities? - Centre for Cities
This briefing dives into the latest subregional productivity data to understand the trends over the past 20 years and what it can tell us about local and national economic performance
www.centreforcities.org
October 20, 2025 at 10:48 AM
I don't understand what is going on with sub-national productivity data in the UK. @centreforcities.bsky.social doing their best here, but I'd be wary drawing any substantive conclusions: www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
Loved writing this. The local productivity data has got a lot of attention lately, and here I try to unpack what goes into the data
NEW | How productive are the UK’s big cities? 🏙️
We've taken a look at the latest subregional productivity data to understand the trends over the past 20 years and what it can tell us about local and national economic performance.
Read the briefing👇
buff.ly/9TjZ7t8
We've taken a look at the latest subregional productivity data to understand the trends over the past 20 years and what it can tell us about local and national economic performance.
Read the briefing👇
buff.ly/9TjZ7t8
October 15, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Loved writing this. The local productivity data has got a lot of attention lately, and here I try to unpack what goes into the data
Reposted by Yunze Wang
BLOG | What sectors will benefit from the Industrial Strategy?
A place-based strategy means that what happens in the eight sectors does not have to stay in the eight sectors.
Read our latest blog 👇
buff.ly/FDxHB7B
A place-based strategy means that what happens in the eight sectors does not have to stay in the eight sectors.
Read our latest blog 👇
buff.ly/FDxHB7B
August 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM
BLOG | What sectors will benefit from the Industrial Strategy?
A place-based strategy means that what happens in the eight sectors does not have to stay in the eight sectors.
Read our latest blog 👇
buff.ly/FDxHB7B
A place-based strategy means that what happens in the eight sectors does not have to stay in the eight sectors.
Read our latest blog 👇
buff.ly/FDxHB7B
The spending review required MCAs to set out local growth plans, which are key to implementing the new Industrial Strategy.
MCAs will be given resources (details TBD). They should focus on horizontal measures: skills, transport, etc. This would be more effective than targeting a few sectors.
MCAs will be given resources (details TBD). They should focus on horizontal measures: skills, transport, etc. This would be more effective than targeting a few sectors.
How important are the IS-8 to the metro mayors?
And how should metro mayors support them in their Local Growth Plans?
Read our latest blog👇
buff.ly/fgIKyz6
And how should metro mayors support them in their Local Growth Plans?
Read our latest blog👇
buff.ly/fgIKyz6
July 16, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The spending review required MCAs to set out local growth plans, which are key to implementing the new Industrial Strategy.
MCAs will be given resources (details TBD). They should focus on horizontal measures: skills, transport, etc. This would be more effective than targeting a few sectors.
MCAs will be given resources (details TBD). They should focus on horizontal measures: skills, transport, etc. This would be more effective than targeting a few sectors.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
NEW REPORT | Checking out: The varying performance of high streets across the country 🛍️
Our new report finds that that there is large variation between the performance of city centre high streets.
🧵👇
buff.ly/UfCfnlF
Our new report finds that that there is large variation between the performance of city centre high streets.
🧵👇
buff.ly/UfCfnlF
July 10, 2025 at 7:01 AM
NEW REPORT | Checking out: The varying performance of high streets across the country 🛍️
Our new report finds that that there is large variation between the performance of city centre high streets.
🧵👇
buff.ly/UfCfnlF
Our new report finds that that there is large variation between the performance of city centre high streets.
🧵👇
buff.ly/UfCfnlF
Reposted by Yunze Wang
🆕 BRIEFING | Eight sectors, one story
Our latest briefing sets out the geography of the eight chosen sectors in the Industrial Strategy and what this means for its implementation.
Read the briefing 👇
buff.ly/eKA9qf4
Our latest briefing sets out the geography of the eight chosen sectors in the Industrial Strategy and what this means for its implementation.
Read the briefing 👇
buff.ly/eKA9qf4
June 25, 2025 at 11:18 AM
🆕 BRIEFING | Eight sectors, one story
Our latest briefing sets out the geography of the eight chosen sectors in the Industrial Strategy and what this means for its implementation.
Read the briefing 👇
buff.ly/eKA9qf4
Our latest briefing sets out the geography of the eight chosen sectors in the Industrial Strategy and what this means for its implementation.
Read the briefing 👇
buff.ly/eKA9qf4
Reposted by Yunze Wang
First response: fine, as long as London is not ignored and/or is given greater powers to raise funds at regional level, because without a strongly-growing London you will not have a strongly-growing UK. www.theguardian.com/politics/202... #london
Rachel Reeves to announce billions in regional spending after Treasury rule changes
Extra investment lined up for schemes such as energy projects, roads and rails outside London and south-east
www.theguardian.com
May 30, 2025 at 11:51 AM
First response: fine, as long as London is not ignored and/or is given greater powers to raise funds at regional level, because without a strongly-growing London you will not have a strongly-growing UK. www.theguardian.com/politics/202... #london
I was quite surprised by how little curiosity young British voters had towards the far right compared to similar demographics everywhere else.
Then I saw the discourse on “working men’s club.” I wonder how many of these young voters would actually know what that is.
Then I saw the discourse on “working men’s club.” I wonder how many of these young voters would actually know what that is.
YouGov averages Mar/Apr/May
18-24s
Con: 10/10/12
Lab: 36/39/24
LD: 17/19/24
Ref: 10/11/10
Grn: 21/17/24
65+
Con: 35/34/26
Lab: 15/13/13
LD: 12/14/14
Ref: 29/29/38
Grn: 5/5/5
Even accounting for variance and bounce, particularly among 18-24s, clearly significant shifts.
18-24s
Con: 10/10/12
Lab: 36/39/24
LD: 17/19/24
Ref: 10/11/10
Grn: 21/17/24
65+
Con: 35/34/26
Lab: 15/13/13
LD: 12/14/14
Ref: 29/29/38
Grn: 5/5/5
Even accounting for variance and bounce, particularly among 18-24s, clearly significant shifts.
May 25, 2025 at 10:48 PM
I was quite surprised by how little curiosity young British voters had towards the far right compared to similar demographics everywhere else.
Then I saw the discourse on “working men’s club.” I wonder how many of these young voters would actually know what that is.
Then I saw the discourse on “working men’s club.” I wonder how many of these young voters would actually know what that is.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
The cutting edge of the economy is increasingly based in cities 🏙️
The Government’s Industrial Strategy must work with that.
Our latest bog from @yz18.bsky.social explains👇
buff.ly/oZQ2Kso
The Government’s Industrial Strategy must work with that.
Our latest bog from @yz18.bsky.social explains👇
buff.ly/oZQ2Kso
May 22, 2025 at 8:33 AM
The cutting edge of the economy is increasingly based in cities 🏙️
The Government’s Industrial Strategy must work with that.
Our latest bog from @yz18.bsky.social explains👇
buff.ly/oZQ2Kso
The Government’s Industrial Strategy must work with that.
Our latest bog from @yz18.bsky.social explains👇
buff.ly/oZQ2Kso
Reposted by Yunze Wang
The unbelievable condescension we’re already seeing today towards working class people- suggesting they don’t travel to Europe or their kids might not want to go to university and study in Europe- is quite something to behold.
May 19, 2025 at 10:44 AM
The unbelievable condescension we’re already seeing today towards working class people- suggesting they don’t travel to Europe or their kids might not want to go to university and study in Europe- is quite something to behold.
Not disputing that “left behind” places exist and need interventions, but our discourse on this in the aftermath of the local elections is misguided for two reasons.
📌"A bad night of election results should not undo months of good economic policymaking."
The spotlight is once again on “left behind” places and how their discontent fueled Reform UK's success.
Read our response to local election results 👇
buff.ly/hvUiN31
The spotlight is once again on “left behind” places and how their discontent fueled Reform UK's success.
Read our response to local election results 👇
buff.ly/hvUiN31
May 6, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Not disputing that “left behind” places exist and need interventions, but our discourse on this in the aftermath of the local elections is misguided for two reasons.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
There is an idealised Proper Working Class, who is heavily implied to be straight, white, working in manual labour and socially conservative with it. With no aspirations for their kids but to be the Same As Them.
It exists predominantly in the minds of Blue Labour and post-liberals.
It exists predominantly in the minds of Blue Labour and post-liberals.
A problematic aspect of Blue Labour is its simplistic narrative of "Red Wall" towns like Chesterfield or Doncaster as homogenously provincial when in reality they also have businesses and people immersed in the global economy.
Blue Labour uses elite caricatures of the North to attack rival elites
Blue Labour uses elite caricatures of the North to attack rival elites
May 4, 2025 at 11:38 AM
There is an idealised Proper Working Class, who is heavily implied to be straight, white, working in manual labour and socially conservative with it. With no aspirations for their kids but to be the Same As Them.
It exists predominantly in the minds of Blue Labour and post-liberals.
It exists predominantly in the minds of Blue Labour and post-liberals.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
Get ready for an onslaught of “the rise of populism” stories again. 🇬🇧
May 1, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Get ready for an onslaught of “the rise of populism” stories again. 🇬🇧
Loved writing this. A key issue with the "left behind" theory is that, other than London, most big cities are simply not doing that well to leave surrounding towns behind. If anything, their underperformance contributes to the decline of nearby towns.
BRIEFING | The myth of “left behind”
❓How should government respond to the political discontent signalled by the vote to leave the European Union and the more recent rise of Reform UK?
buff.ly/g8K7EDQ 👇
❓How should government respond to the political discontent signalled by the vote to leave the European Union and the more recent rise of Reform UK?
buff.ly/g8K7EDQ 👇
April 29, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Loved writing this. A key issue with the "left behind" theory is that, other than London, most big cities are simply not doing that well to leave surrounding towns behind. If anything, their underperformance contributes to the decline of nearby towns.
You probably get a similar result for other professions that are respected but not well paid (e.g. care workers or apprenticeships in the UK). Ultimately, people mostly choose jobs based on pay, not vibes. So people are happy to support more of these respected jobs, but not keen on taking them.
April 13, 2025 at 10:54 PM
You probably get a similar result for other professions that are respected but not well paid (e.g. care workers or apprenticeships in the UK). Ultimately, people mostly choose jobs based on pay, not vibes. So people are happy to support more of these respected jobs, but not keen on taking them.
Honestly one of the most interesting analyses I have done. First time having to do research in response to real-world events.
Everyone loses due to the tariffs. But already struggling or less productive British cities could be hit harder.
Everyone loses due to the tariffs. But already struggling or less productive British cities could be hit harder.
BLOG | The uneven storm: the impacts of U.S. tariffs on British cities
The global tariff imposed by the US looks set to significantly affect the UK economy, but the damage will not spread equally across places⚖️
Which cities are most exposed?👇
The global tariff imposed by the US looks set to significantly affect the UK economy, but the damage will not spread equally across places⚖️
Which cities are most exposed?👇
The uneven storm: the impacts of U.S. tariffs on British cities - Centre for Cities
Weaker economies in the UK are set to be hit hardest by Trump’s tariffs.
buff.ly
April 10, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Honestly one of the most interesting analyses I have done. First time having to do research in response to real-world events.
Everyone loses due to the tariffs. But already struggling or less productive British cities could be hit harder.
Everyone loses due to the tariffs. But already struggling or less productive British cities could be hit harder.
Reposted by Yunze Wang
What’s £2 billion? 💵
This blog from @mauricelange.bsky.social looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending 🏡
Read now 👇
www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-2...
This blog from @mauricelange.bsky.social looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending 🏡
Read now 👇
www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-2...
What’s £2 billion? The Government’s latest Affordable Housing announcement in context - Centre for Cities
This blog looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending
www.centreforcities.org
April 2, 2025 at 9:01 AM
What’s £2 billion? 💵
This blog from @mauricelange.bsky.social looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending 🏡
Read now 👇
www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-2...
This blog from @mauricelange.bsky.social looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending 🏡
Read now 👇
www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-2...
Reposted by Yunze Wang
The fact that a Black Senator breaks Strom Thurmond's record for longest filibuster, protesting the Civil Rights Act, makes it even more special. 😘
April 1, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The fact that a Black Senator breaks Strom Thurmond's record for longest filibuster, protesting the Civil Rights Act, makes it even more special. 😘
Reposted by Yunze Wang
Not just because most of the British public, including 76% of Conservative voters and 52% of Reform(!) voters support net zero.
March 18, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Not just because most of the British public, including 76% of Conservative voters and 52% of Reform(!) voters support net zero.