Last weekend I was in Turin, returning from a skiing trip with my family. We only had a limited amount of time to look around –but we were able to do soon the brand new Metro underground system, with its gleaming marble platforms, and network extending across the city.

This got me thinking about the difference between Turin and British cities, and a point that my fellow Commissioner, Professor Tony Travers, made as we headed to Manchester last month for our first City Growth Commission Evidence Session.