Report
City governments are borrowing ideas from one another to speed up delivery and improve outcomes, yet full implementation remains rare: while 79% of surveyed cities have adopted or attempted to adopt ideas from elsewhere, only 42% have fully implemented them. This newly released report just released by the OECD offers a practical toolkit of 14 concrete actions to help cities move from ad hoc experimentation to more effective adoption, covering how to create the right conditions for learning, assess which ideas to pursue and adapt them to local contexts.
Skills gaps and geographic mismatches can be significant barriers to job transitions, particularly for workers whose roles are being reshaped by the green transition. This paper develops a skills-based tool to map feasible career pathways for vulnerable workers and those moving into green occupations.
How can coaching, mentoring and business advisory services help SMEs and startups shift toward higher-productivity activities? Drawing on case studies from Málaga, South East Ireland, and Scania, this paper identifies what makes local business support work and what policymakers can do to strengthen it.
A place's economic future is shaped not only by its industries and infrastructure, but also by its identity: how people perceive it, talk about it and imagine what it can become. This report examines why place identity matters for policymakers, and how tools such as place narrative, local pride and place branding can be used to support local prosperity.
Global trade patterns are shifting fast and reshaping local economies unevenly across regions and cities. This policy document examines how trade integration, industrial restructuring and the rise of AI are reshaping local jobs, skills and entrepreneurship, and sets out what policymakers can do to help places seize opportunities, support workers through transitions, and build resilience.
Across OECD countries, many communities feel left out and left behind. This paper maps over 40 area-based initiatives targeting disadvantaged neighbourhoods, examining how they link economic, social and physical development to deliver targeted support and strengthen community capacity.
A new survey from the OECD has captured a revealing snapshot of how small and medium businesses around the world are navigating the age of AI — and the findings are highly relevant for main street operators and the precincts that support them.
The Heart Foundation's updated Good for Business evidence paper (2025) draws on 100+ studies to reinforce a clear finding: walkable, bikeable main streets are better for both retail vitality and community health. Four key recommendations show how towns can boost local business and accessibility with minimal cost and intervention.
The Value of Victorian Main Streets report describes the scale, role and economic contribution of main streets across the state. Alongside celebrating their evolution, the report highlights main streets' importance to the state's economy, our social fabric and environmental landscape, and their vital role in rebuilding and repairing the effects of COVID-19. Victoria's main streets have always been more than retail spaces - they are key service delivery points, important employment providers, and places where residents and visitors gather, live, shop and connect.
Mainstreet Australia's 2022 advocacy report, Our Gathering Places Under Threat, presented an urgent call to action as Victorian main streets faced a critical crossroads. Despite renewed community interest in local living post-COVID-19, vacancy rates reached 20% in some areas amid mounting business pressures. The report outlined a comprehensive partnership vision between main street businesses and the Victorian Government, identifying five priority areas essential to sustainability. With Victoria's 698 main streets employing 390,000 people and generating over $50 billion annually, this advocacy plan demonstrates how collaborative action can protect these vital community hubs and realise thriving 20-minute neighbourhoods.