Leicester named as top 10 UK city for third year running

Since the beginning of Cite, 20 years ago, we’ve been based in Leicester. So why do we love it? 

Firstly, as a creative business, we’ve always felt that the city possesses a vitality that inspires great ideas. This is the same energy that attracts a huge diversity of people and that leads to immense opportunities. It’s amazing how just a lunchtime stroll can help free the mind.

In a word, diversity is probably our city’s secret to success. Since Roman times, Leicester has been a hub for international commerce, and all that trading and mingling has helped the city constantly reinvent itself and find a role in the world. In the post-manufacturing Britain of the eighties and nineties, many Midland cities were left floundering, but Leicester’s openness enabled the city to evolve and adapt to changing times.

In 2016, the LSE officially identified Narborough Road as UK’s most ethnically diverse street, with over 22 countries represented across 222 shops and restaurants! Nobody is going to pretend that accolade doesn’t create tensions, but the pay-off in terms of skills and worldwide links is immense. Looking back, that was an awesome year to be in Leicester. The discovery of King Richard III (a stone’s throw away from our offices) and Leicester City FC winning the Premier League were just a couple of the highlights.

How is Leicester a top-10 city?

And at the end of 2019, based on the Good Growth for Cities Index, Leicester made it into the top 10 UK cities for the third year in a row. Hurrah! This index measures the performance of the biggest cities in the country against 10 main points that the public believe are most important when it comes to economic well-being. Contributing  factors include:

• Jobs (plenty of them!)
• Health (lucky to have three hospitals)
• Skills (plenty of opportunities to learn or improve)
• Transport (great trail links and cyclist-friendly roads)
• Environment (wonderful nature parks)
• New Businesses (booming trade and innovations)
• Owner Occupation (stunning new developments and traditional houses)
• Income Distribution (salary typically matches cost of living)
• Income (support for recruitment across many sectors)
• Work-Life Balance (fantastic fun experiences in city centre)
• House Price to Earnings (opportunities to invest in property)

Find out how well Leicester performs in this report.

Above all, it’s probably fair to say Leicester is known for its diverse culture and sense of community. It’s a fantastic place to work and live. In supporting the community, we are proud sponsors of Create, a network aiming to inspire Leicester’s digital community and a corporate partner of Hope Against Cancer.

Director Dafydd explains…

“Leicester was described to me once as the Goldilocks city of the Midlands. With a population of 350,000, it has all the support structures required to grow a business but without the cost and competition found in a metropolis like London. We’re also very fortunate to have three universities on our doorstep which provide an amazing talent pool. Within an hour, we have the madness of London to the South and the tranquillity of the Peak District to our North.”

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