The purpose of this report is to consider how we can radically increase the ability of our cities to use culture to drive inclusive growth. The value of culture to our civic life is now indisputable. There is a great opportunity to release reserves of untapped potential in our cities through investment in culture. Culture can help our cities to define a shared vision for the future, to promote innovation and positive change in our businesses and institutions, to equip communities to deal positively with change, and to realise more equitable opportunities for all individuals to succeed.

In the UK, cities account for about 9% of landmass, but deliver 63% of its economic output and 60% of jobs. They are critical to the future of surrounding regional economies and to the UK as a whole. A vibrant, thriving cultural scene is recognised as an increasingly important local asset. As this report demonstrates, more support for culture will realise major gains for the UK's economy and urban populations, and its recommendations will have relevance for many other places.

You can join the conversation and spread the word about these recommendations on Twitter using #culturalcities.

* Also available for download is the Cultural Cities Recovery Report, which looks at how culture can help the nation recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. This was published in December 2020.