In today's episode hosted by Stefan Stern we spotlight the West Midlands. Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, explains how he is succeeding in regenerating the region by creating the framework and partnerships to successfully attract billions of Pounds of investment into housing, university buildings, and infrastructure - to mention just three areas - from the UK's long-term financial institutions. Mr Street explains his plans for attracting more inward investment, and how levelling up might be achieved across the UK.

Contemplating the UK's economic prospects for 2023 and the severe financial constraints on the Government, are there really options for Local Authorities and Central Government to fund key urban regeneration projects, creating jobs and real social value? Yes, according to our panellists, and salvation could come from partnerships with long-term institutional investors with billions of Pounds to invest in infrastructure, energy and new housing across the UK.

Stefan Stern hosts the latest series of the Purpose of Finance podcasts, which take a look at the powerful financial, regulatory and cultural issues that form the relationship between finance and society and specifically how the pensions we save for are helping to build the country. In today’s fascinating episode we hear from pensions specialist John Ralfe, James Agar, head of long income for PIC, Liane Hartley, founder of MEND, the organisation for social cities and considerate urbanism, and Tom Forth from Open Innovations and Data City, who is interested in using data to make cities more prosperous and better places to live.

In this final episode for this series we continue to look at housing. We are joined by Sadie Morgan OBE, Stirling-Prize-winning architect of dRMM Architects, plus the FT's property correspondent, George Hammond, Phil Mayall, a director at the national regeneration company, Muse Developments, and Nigel Bosworth, who is the head of residential management at Savills.

In this 3 rd look at Real Assets in relation to the Purpose of Finance, we look at the picture overall with PIC’s CEO Tracy Blackwell, Dr. Stanimira Milcheva, a professor in Real Estate Finance at the University College London, Michael Howard, the founder and Managing Director of urbanbubble, an award winning property operator, and Paul Nash, who as a former President of the Chartered Institute of Building now advises property owners, developers and funds in the UK.

In today’s episode we’re taking a look at Build-to-Rent, a type of development that PIC, and other institutions are beginning to invest in heavily. Today we’ll explore some of the reasons why, with Jeremy Apfel of PIC; Emanuele Midolo, property correspondent at the Times; Jo Cowen, an award-winning architect and CEO of Jo Cowen Architects who specialise in the Build-to-Rent industry; Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy at British Property Federation and a long-time champion of Build-to-Rent, and Raj Kotecha, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Amro Real Estate Partners.

In today’s episode we're looking at long term investments for social purpose and sound financial return. Joining the podcast is Nigel Kershaw OBE, Executive Chairman of the Big Issue Group, Hayley Rees of PIC, and Emeritus Professor Michael Ball of Henley Business School, plus Miles Lewis, Head of Sustainability at the construction firm, Lendlease, and PIC’s CEO Tracy Blackwell as we discuss perspectives on long term investment in real estate real assets, with hosts, Emma Nelson and Julia Hobsbawm.

Our 4th special look at Levelling Up and how finance can play its part in meeting society’s changing needs hears from Polly MacKenzie, formerly a Government insider in the Coalition Government, Peter Foster, the Public Policy Editor of the Financial Times, Al Mathers, director of research at the Royal Society for Arts, and Paul Swinney, who is the Director of Policy and Research at the Centre for Cities.

This third deep dive into Levelling Up looks at how the finance sector plays its part. We hear from Alan Evans, Director of Regeneration and Place at Wirral Borough Council, Eleanor Shearer from the Institute of Government, Steve Hughes of WPI Strategy and philanthropist and impact investor Patricia Hamzahee.

This episode, our second on Levelling Up, looks locally and regionally at what Levelling Up means, how we get there and how the pensions we save for can play a role in delivering successful policy. Guests are Dr Henry Kippin, Managing Director of the North of Tyne Combined Authority,  Lucy Nethsingha leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cambridgeshire County Council, and Richard Burge, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Plus William Wright, founder and chairman of financial forum and think-tank New Financial.

We open our new series by looking at Levelling Up from the North West of England with an exclusive interview with Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, plus contributions from Richard Jones, Associate Vice-President for Innovation and Regional Economic Development at the University of Manchester and Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham as we explore the North-South divide and ask what really moves the needle on creating a more equitable society – and what role is finance playing?