This report from UK think tank The Centre for Progressive Policy explores how people feel about the economic opportunities where they live. CPP’s annual Local Economy Tracker explores how people feel about the economic opportunities where they live, what they think needs to change and which political parties and tiers of government they trust the...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at unlocking local action on clean air. There is an urgent need to address air pollution. Preventing the premature deaths of up to 43,000 people per year in the UK and reducing cases of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, dementia and asthma would be reason alone. Those who...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute outlines a fair way to build housing where people want to live. Under the proposed ‘Homes for All’ scheme, the government would use Compulsory Purchasing Orders (CPOs), a legal tool which can be used to compulsorily buy land or property to support development that is...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at a new policy framework for the UK’s towns. Towns are the backbone of our economy, the heart of our communities, and the engine of job creation. Yet they often face significant challenges, including funding allocation, skills challenges, infrastructure issues and digital adoption. In...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the UK’s 344 innovation hotspots and their potential to address the UK’s sluggish productivity growth. The UK is home to 344 innovative hotspots, with clustered New Economy firms accounting for approximately £18.5 billion and 200,000 jobs to the national economy. Although the clustered...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks challenges the misleading political narrative that pits towns against cities. A big problem for the UK economy is the underperformance of its largest cities outside London, which in 2018 alone meant that the UK economy was £48 billion (2.3%) smaller than it would have...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at the current state of London’s housing market. This report examines the current state of London’s housing market and reviews the policy solutions proposed to improve it. 50% more people are sleeping rough in London compared to a decade ago, and more than 300,000...

This report from UK think tank Onward looks at how local government funding misses areas with fewer opportunities. Grants to local authorities are targeted on deprivation, missing parts of the country that might be more affluent overall, but have some of the lowest levels of social mobility. Inner-city boroughs are the winners while smaller towns...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at financial incentives for sustainable travel in London. This report explores policy ideas to change the cost of transport and encourage more Londoners to walk, cycle, use public transport or use shared modes of transport. Part 1 looks at current financial incentives and how...

This report from UK think tank CLES looks at the claims on both sides of the debate and explores how freeports could be done differently. Freeports have been contentious since their announcement. Trade unions, public bodies, think tanks and commentators have all voiced concerns that they will accelerate the extraction of wealth from hard-pressed communities...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at what it would mean to truly ‘level up’ the bus network and bring all of England’s metropolitan areas up to London's level. Buses play a crucial role in the lives of people in England. From the daily commute and trip to school or university, to shopping...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at supporting sustainable travel in outer London. This report explores how to improve transport options for the millions of people living in outer London. Helping people get around their local areas and reducing reliance on car ownership. People in outer London own and use...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at whether a London running on 59% pre-covid office attendance levels be able to avoid a slump. Centre for Cities has worked with Professor Dan Graham and his team at Imperial College London to produce Office politics: London and the rise of home working,...

This report from UK think tank the Living Wage Foundation looks at the scale of low pay in London. Living costs in London are some of the highest in the world. As such, the experience of low pay in London is often even more challenging than in other parts of the UK. For most of...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the role of London in the UK’s productivity puzzle. This report published in partnership with EC BID, shows that over the last 15 years London’s productivity growth has both trailed its international competitors and has been the main cause of the UK’s productivity...

As COP26 comes to a close what are some of the changes we can make in cities that can help with the net zero agenda? A greater uptake of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is required By Rebecca Foster (Bright Blue) The UK’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050 will ultimately require significant changes to the way...