From Global South to Home Ground: An Economist's Blueprint for Struggling Hometowns

1 hour ago7 min read

After a career spent diagnosing the economic ills of the world's poorest nations, development economist Paul Collier is turning his attention to a new frontier: the struggling post-industrial towns of Britain where he grew up. This intellectual homecoming sees him applying the core principles of international development to the familiar challenges of communities hollowed out by the decline of manufacturing and mining.Collier’s focus is not on massive aid packages or top-down directives, but on a more fundamental resource: social capital. He posits that the networks of trust and cooperation that can revitalize a village in Rwanda are equally vital for a town in Yorkshire or the Midlands.His advisory role is a deeply human-centric endeavor, addressing the psychological wounds of economic decline alongside the financial ones. The approach prioritizes building local institutions, fostering collective action, and nurturing a shared narrative of hope from within.The potential impact of this model is significant. If it proves successful, it could redefine regional policy across the developed world, shifting the priority from mere infrastructure investment to the more sustainable, complex work of rebuilding a community's social fabric. It's a quiet revolution, measured in restored civic pride and rekindled belonging, with Collier as its guide—demonstrating that for an expert, the most critical work can often be found in the place they once called home.

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#Paul Collier

#development economics

#struggling towns

#economic revitalization

#local policy

#applied research

#community development