Share

cover art for Megatrends in the West Midlands - Future Mobility

City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham Podcast

Megatrends in the West Midlands - Future Mobility

Season 1, Ep. 3

In this episode of the City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham podcast, we examine transport in the West Midlands. Dr Magda Cepeda Zorrilla discusses future mobility with Mike Waters, Director of Policy, Strategy & Innovation, Transport for West Midlands (TFWM).


They discuss:

  • The rise in homeworking since the pandemic and its impact on regional transport.
  • How TFWM has responded to covid-19.
  • The 15-minute city and the 20-minute neighbourhood.
  • Funding for transport in the West Midlands and involving the public in how the funds are spent.
  • The electrification of transport and tackling congestion.
  • The move towards sustainable transportation and living in the West Midlands.


This podcast is part of a larger project looking at Megatrends in the West Midlands. Megatrends are major movements or patterns or trends that are having a transformative impact on business, economy, society, cultures and personal lives. The project examines some of these megatrends in a series of provocations, podcasts and a report.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 5. How can national and local skills policies encourage collaboration between universities, colleges and employers to drive productivity, innovation and growth?

    29:29||Season 2, Ep. 5
    In our latest podcast, Chris Millward, Professor of Practice in Education Policy at the School of Education, University of Birmingham talks to Peter Creticos, President and Executive Director, at the Institute for Work and the Economy in Chicago and Ewart Keep, Professor of Education, Training and Skills at the University of Oxford, about skills policy and practice in the UK, the US and around the world. They discuss how universities, colleges and employers can work together to improve skills, how national and local governments can encourage this, and how it might improve productivity, innovation and growth. This podcast was inspired by the University and Regions Policy Forum. The forum aims to bring together researchers with policymakers and practitioners to understand levelling pp and respond to the challenges it presents.
  • 4. Small Business Support: Can it be Effective, Highly Visible and Respected?

    31:25||Season 2, Ep. 4
    In our latest podcast, Dr Juliane Schwarz talks to Professor Mart Hart, Deputy Director of the ERC and Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, about business support in England. This podcast was inspired by the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI at the University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second city and a high-quality resource for informing research, policy and investment decisions. View and download the Birmingham Economic Review.To find out even more about Birmingham’s economy, including GVA, unemployment and CO2 emission, please visit our Birmingham Economic Review data dashboards.For a transcript of this podcast, please view our blog site.
  • 3. Productivity in the West Midlands

    14:21||Season 2, Ep. 3
    In this podcast, Associate Professor Rebecca Riley and Charlotte Horobin will be discussing a recent WMREDI report on Productivity in the West Midlands and how the government can help facilitate growth within the region. To read the report in full or find out more information about the project, please visit our Productivity in the West Midlands webpage.
  • 2. What is GVA and what does it tell us about the economy of the West Midlands and the UK?

    23:42||Season 2, Ep. 2
    In this podcast, Associate Professor Rebecca Riley and Professor Delma Dwight will be discussing GVA and what it tells us about the economy of Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK. We'll also be talking about GVA as a metric for measuring economic activity. This podcast was inspired by the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI at the University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second city and a high-quality resource for informing research, policy and investment decisions. View and download the Birmingham Economic Review.To find out even more about Birmingham’s economy, including GVA, unemployment and CO2 emission, please visit our Birmingham Economic Review data dashboards.
  • 1. The Economic and Social Impacts of Mega-Events

    30:37||Season 2, Ep. 1
    With the World Cup finishing this weekend, Professor Calvin Jones and Dr Matt Lyons discuss the economic and social impacts of mega-events. What do countries gain from hosting events like the World Cup?This podcast was inspired by the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI at the University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second city and a high-quality resource for informing research, policy and investment decisions. View and download the Birmingham Economic Review.To find out even more about Birmingham’s economy, including GVA, unemployment and CO2 emission, please visit our Birmingham Economic Review data dashboards.View a transcript from the podcast.
  • 5. Megatrends in the West Midlands: Future Business District

    34:38||Season 1, Ep. 5
    In this episode of the City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham podcast, we look at the Future Business District in the West Midlands. Johannes Read discusses the subject with Mike Best, Senior Director at Turley and Kevin Johnson, Managing Director from Urban Communications.Discussing the Future Business District report, the Commonwealth Games, the lasting legacy and how to get people back into cities, this podcast is packed full of interesting content.This podcast is part of a larger project looking at Megatrends in the West Midlands. Megatrends are major movements, patterns or trends that have a transformative impact on business, economy, society, cultures and personal lives. The project examines some of these megatrends in a series of provocations, podcasts and a report.
  • 4. Megatrends in the West Midlands - Work and Skills

    29:59||Season 1, Ep. 4
    In this episode of the City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham podcast, we look at work and skills in the West Midlands. Dr Abigail Taylor discusses the subject with Dr Fiona Aldridge, Head of Insight - Economic Delivery, Skills and Communities, WMCA. Topics include:The impact of digitisation and automation on work and learning. Developing broader digital skills and confidence in using technology.Digital exclusion. What COVID 19 has revealed to us about priorities for upskilling and reskilling. Policy priorities for the WMCA. The importance of place when developing policies that address skills and employment challenges. The role of universities in upskilling and reskilling. The collaboration between regional partners and national government. Devolution. This podcast is part of a larger project looking at Megatrends in the West Midlands. Megatrends are major movements, patterns or trends that have a transformative impact on business, economy, society, cultures and personal lives. The project examines some of these megatrends in a series of provocations, podcasts and a report.
  • 2. Megatrends in the West Midlands - Business and operations

    34:07||Season 1, Ep. 2
    In this episode of the City-REDI / WMREDI, University of Birmingham podcast, we look again at megatrends in the West Midlands. Alice Pugh, City-REDI / WMREDI Policy and Data Analyst talks to Henrietta Brealey, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce about business and operations in the West Midlands. They discuss some of the megatrends accelerated by Covid-19, including:Hybrid working and its impact on productivity, innovation and footfall in city centres. The need for city centres to adapt to the rise of online shopping. The impact of automation and digitisation on business and its workforce. Supply chains and the rise of online attacks. Climate change and the green agenda. This podcast is part of a larger project looking at Megatrends in the West Midlands. Megatrends are major movements or patterns or trends that are having a transformative impact on business, economy, society, cultures and personal lives. The project examines some of these megatrends in a series of provocations, podcasts and a report.