• Rail connectivity compares well with the national average and HS2 is underway to significantly improve connections to London and beyond
• A combined GVA of over £43bn
• A combined population of c.1.8m people with 40% under 25 years
• Average GDP per head is c.£27,000, below the national average with the goal to increase
• Strong manufacturing, research and technology heritage
• c.700,000 homes in the three cities
• Together, the 3 cities consistently have the highest number of new start-ups outside London

Welcome to the 3 Cities

The 3 Cities are among the seven councils that make up the West Midlands Combined Authority and are part of the wider West Midlands.

Our collective goal is to harness a post-pandemic recovery, growing and re-animating our cities while delivering transformative change for citizens. We share our individual strengths, experience and diversity to provide transformative opportunities. We’re seeking places to be connected, digitally-enabled anchors for investment, and hubs for education, skills and lifelong learning. Together, we are looking to provide at scale opportunities for innovation, and partnerships and programmes for government, private sector, investors and developers. Combined, this will bring benefits across all the cities, our partners, our citizens, the wider region and UK.

The climate emergency is recognised by all the cities, with net zero activities being developed to include a variety of commitments and programmes. These include transport decarbonisation, waste reduction, and natural capital improvements.

Our collaboration aims to address inequality and support inclusive growth, with a focus around retrofit, digital innovations, future mobility, and culture and the arts.

We are in the early stages of our thinking. Our first area of focus is seeking to address decarbonisation and fuel poverty through the retrofit of social homes, and we are looking for investors, suppliers and innovators to join us in achieving this.

• Decarbonisation and the route to net zero – Supporting energy efficiency, heating decarbonisation and renewable energy generation through driving forward the retrofit of affordable homes
• Culture, sports and the arts – Reigniting our cities and supporting social and economic growth by unlocking the latent value and accelerating the ambitions and plans for our arts and culture sector       
• City mobility – Transforming the mobility of people, goods and services within our cities to reduce congestion, carbon, improve air quality and connectivity including supporting '15 minute communities'
• Digital connectivity – Harnessing each of the cities’ research, digital and technology expertise to support the development, testing and delivery of new digital and assistive technologies to solve some of the 3 Cities’ complex challenges

And together, we will achieve Net Zero

In 2019, the UK became the first major country to legislate a net-zero target for carbon emissions by 2050.

Through our focus on retrofit, the 3 Cities aim to accelerate our net zero ambitions.

We commit to sharing our knowledge and co-learning to support acceleration towards the UK’s 2050 net zero target.