Public transport is key to helping struggling cities to move forward, says report

The Centre for Cities is calling on political leaders to recognise that the economic recovery will be very uneven. The UK may well be emerging from recession, says the Centre's 2010 report and economic index, but many cities will continue to feel the effects of the downturn for years to come, especially those with a weak private sector.

Cities Outlook 2010 finds that already-robust city economies like Brighton are more likely to grow stronger, leaving others like Doncaster further behind. This raises tough questions about how they can carve out a future that's economically sustainable.

Over the next parliament the new Government will need to address the position of struggling cities, the report says. In a tight public spending climate constructing shiny new buildings is not the way forward. Struggling cities first of all need to fix the basics - improving their schools, adult skills and public transport. Only then will businesses want to invest and create jobs.

Dermot Finch, Chief Executive of the Centre for Cities, said: 'We face an uneven recovery. The national economy may be emerging from recession but cities like Brighton are likely to recover more strongly than the likes of Barnsley.

'Party leaders need to wake up to the reality that some cities will still feel in the middle of a recession until well after the election. The next Government needs to help these struggling cities fix the basics - like improving schools and public transport so they can attract new business and jobs.'

The recession has widened the gap between UK city economies. Cities that were already suffering before the recession such as Barnsley and Stoke have been hit hardest, according to the economic index.

Over the past two years, the difference between the two cities with the highest and lowest shares of residents claiming Jobseeker's Allowance - Hull and Cambridge - has nearly doubled.

Five big hitters: The turnaround of our largest cities will be critical to the national recovery. More than one in three jobs (39%) in England is based in just five cities - Greater London and the City Regions of Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.

Five to watch: Brighton, Milton Keynes, Reading, Cambridge and Edinburgh have the right ingredients to succeed after the recession has passed. They have strong private sectors, high levels of entrepreneurship, highly educated workforces and large shares of knowledge-intensive jobs.