Wales is a small nation. With just 3 million people and a population density of 148 per square kilometre in some ways Wales resembles the Czech Republic or Denmark more than its neighbours in the United Kingdom. Where the population is most dense it is in Wales’ cities, but again these are smaller than those elsewhere in the UK. As a result of this, a significant proportion of the day-to-day economy in Wales takes place in towns. Towns are where things are made, bought and sold or where we go to consume our leisure and public services. Despite this, the economic narrative in Wales focuses largely on cities. Thus, we have city regions, city deals and agglomeration economics that focus on building bigger, more connected urban areas. This undoubtedly provokes questions around the role of the Wales’ towns. What are the policies that are needed today to shape how towns look, feel and respond to their long-term challenges? These are the sorts of questions the research will hope to answer.
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