Manchester is setting the pace for inclusive social and economic growth, with Birmingham close behind. Together, our host cities show how regeneration and large scale infrastructure investment can drive long term social value when growth is designed to benefit people as well as place.
Growth shaped by infrastructure
Over the past decade, infrastructure investment has played a central role in shaping social value in both cities.
Between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, Manchester’s population grew by 9.7%, alongside a 2.2% increase in economic activity. This reflects a city that has consistently linked transport, skills and regeneration. Investment in Metrolink expansion, Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria stations and active travel networks has strengthened connectivity and unlocked regeneration in areas such as Ancoats and Salford Quays, transforming former industrial land into mixed use neighbourhoods.
Alongside major regeneration, Manchester is also delivering innovative, people focused projects. The Embassy Village in Castlefield is a modular housing scheme located beneath railway arches, providing 40 self-contained, permanent homes for people experiencing homelessness. The project demonstrates how under used infrastructure can be repurposed to provide stable housing, dignity and access to support services, embedding social value directly into the urban fabric.
Birmingham’s trajectory has been more complex. Despite strong cultural and community foundations, economic activity declined by 10.3% over the same period, increasing the focus on infrastructure as a lever for skills, inclusion and employment.
Infrastructure as a platform for social value
In Manchester, embedding social value into infrastructure planning has delivered benefits across the city. Investment in public transport and sustainable travel has improved access to jobs, education and essential services. At the same time, major developments such as MediaCityUK have created thousands of roles in the creative and digital economy, supported by targeted skills and training programmes that link local people to new opportunities.
In Birmingham, large scale infrastructure projects are being used as drivers of inclusive employment and long‑term regeneration. HS2 at Curzon Street, alongside wider regeneration across Eastside and Digbeth, has placed a strong emphasis on job creation, apprenticeships and clear skills pathways. This approach is connecting residents to opportunities in construction, engineering and future operational roles, reinforced by investment in Midland Metro extensions, highway reconfiguration and public realm improvements.
A flagship example is Smithfield Birmingham, where infrastructure led regeneration is transforming a 17 hectare site into a new mixed use quarter. The development is creating employment across construction, markets, retail and hospitality, while also delivering new homes, improved transport connections and high quality public spaces.
Looking ahead
Manchester and Birmingham demonstrate two complementary approaches to infrastructure led social value — one built on long term coordinated investment, the other on regeneration that directly connects people to work and opportunity. Together, they reinforce a simple message: infrastructure is not just about transport or buildings, but about access, inclusion and lasting prosperity for people and places.
