As the map above shows, of the top fifty target seats identified by the three main political parties ahead of the 2015 Election, two thirds (those shaded green) are located in urban areas - not just in the north of England, but all across the UK.

Cast the net a little wider, and of the 194 seats with the lowest majorities heading in to polling day, three fifths are in urban areas, and virtually all are within the travel to work areas of the UK’s 64 largest cities.

This means the pressures cities face will at least partly shape the preferences and needs of voters in the majority of marginal seats in 2015. Whether it is reducing traffic jams or the crush on the morning commute, improving buses and trains, more jobs or new homes, politicians from all parties looking to tip the balance in these urban battlegrounds will need to understand and respond to the needs of urban voters.

Find out more at www.thinkcities.org.uk