Nicholas P. Sweeney

Economic geography · Spatial inequalities · Big Data

Bio

Nicholas P. Sweeney is the Sir Terry Leahy Fellow of Urban and Regional Economics at Alliance Manchester Business School.

His research examines the multi-dimensional drivers and effects of spatial inequality, and the role of place-based policy in ameliorating disparities both between and within regions. Underpinning his research is the use of contemporary data availability improvements to refine theoretical and empirical understanding of longstanding debates on economic, political and social matters.

The why of Nicholas’ holistic research comes from growing up in Liverpool, a region that has experienced significant economic decline and now evidences some of the lowest incomes, political engagement and health outcomes in England – the most spatially unequal developed country. The belief that evidenced-based research can help to improve livelihoods across the world motivates his work.

Nicholas P. Sweeney

Research interests

  • Institutions, decentralisation, and multi-level governance
  • Spatial inequalities and local economic development
  • Political (dis)engagement in declining places
  • Mobility, access to services, and health inequalities

Methods

  • Causal inference in applied microeconometrics (difference-in-differences, matching, instrumental variables)
  • Spatial analysis and geospatial data
  • Reproducible research in R and Python

Educational History

Nicholas joined the University of Manchester in 2025 from the University of Cambridge, after submitting his PhD—comprising three solo-authored papers—in under three years. Entitled Devolution and Space in England: Empirical Essays on Economic Growth, Democratic Engagement and Health, all three papers were subsequently published in leading journals (Urban Studies, Political Geography, and Social Science & Medicine, respectively).

Nicholas also completed his Master’s and undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge. He gained a Distinction in his Master’s degree and received the highest overall marks in his undergraduate cohort, as well as the award for best final-year dissertation.