AI Shatters Myth of England's North-South Divide

University of Manchester researchers used GeoAI techniques to analyze productivity across England's 296 local authorities between 2010 and 2022, revealing a far more complex picture than the traditional North-South narrative. Nearly half of local authorities underperformed on both productivity level and growth rate, while fewer than one in five achieved both. Key productivity drivers included information sector job concentration, higher wages, and proximity to productive neighbors. The study classified areas into 12 distinct productivity types, concluding that no single policy solution fits all and that national strategies must account for local spatial dynamics.