This report from UK think tank Localis explores unlocking the value of heritage for local economies. Heritage connects the past, present and future of place. Historic buildings, landscapes, collections, skills, stories and traditions shape local identity while supporting employment, visitor economies, wellbeing and community life. Yet heritage remains too often confined to conservation or tourism...

This report from UK think tank Power to Change sets out a detailed roadmap for a new era of community ownership.  Community ownership is a proven, scalable driver of local economic renewal and resilient, connected communities. While political support has never been higher, demand for investment far outstrips supply, with the recent Community Right to...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out ‘quick wins’ to ramp up the number of good quality homes built in the communities that need them. Since July 2024, the government has undertaken substantial, necessary reforms to tackle the housing crisis and get Britain building again. It has rightly set out a...

This report from UK think tanks Onward and the Centre for Policy Studies brings renewed focus to London’s housing crisis and the consequences of failing to address it. London is failing to build the homes it needs. In 2024/25, construction started on just 4,170 homes in the capital, even as the population grew by close...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities provides evidence to support the Government’s decision to advance fiscal devolution. In the 2026 Mais Lecture, the Chancellor announced a roadmap to fiscal devolution, including tax sharing of income tax to regional leaders across England. This briefing provides evidence to support the Government’s decision to advance...

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out a practical but ambitious blueprint for devolving fiscal power in England. Just 5.8 per cent of national taxes are collected at the subnational level in the UK – the lowest share in the G7, and a fraction of France (20.4 per cent), Japan (36 per cent),...

This report from UK think tank Localis explores establishing strong organisations and practices for successful devolution. England is currently undergoing a dual transformation: that of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the expansion of devolution across metropolitan and, increasingly, rural areas. This period of transition will be marked by significant structural changes impacting the organisational culture,...

This report from UK think tank Future Governance Forum states that GBR needs a clearly defined purpose and a deliberate approach to instilling a new organisational culture. A new report by The Future Governance Forum (FGF) warns that without a clearly defined purpose, strong institutional foundations and meaningful operational autonomy, Great British Railways (GBR) risks...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities explores the geography of deprivation in urban Britain. Two-thirds of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK are in cities, even though cities and non-urban areas each account for roughly half of all neighbourhoods. Affluent neighbourhoods, by contrast, are split evenly between urban and non-urban areas.

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London provides a new, comprehensive response to London’s housing crisis. London’s housing crisis is arguably the greatest challenge facing the capital. It touches the lives of almost every Londoner. Yet, our housing system is failing to meet need – destabilising Londoners’ lives, placing pressure on public...

This report from UK think tank Power to Change argues that the civic high street is the right organising principle for the shift toward mixed-use, community-centred high streets.  The 'new high street playbook' shares lessons from the Community-Led High Street Innovators programme, and why they matter now. Connecting real world practice to the current policy window, this report reflects a...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities shows that rising National Living Wage rates are having very different effects across UK cities and towns. A single national wage floor, combined with varying economic performance across UK cities, means that the impact of the minimum wage is felt very differently in different places. A...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at where city densification needs to occur and what policy needs to do differently. Policy attention towards densifying British cities is welcome, and this research uses data on historic neighbourhood age and Centre for Cities’ residential densities dataset to dig deeper into where densification needs...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities argues that geographic differences in equity investment reflects differences in the number of investable firms. Equity investment is at the heart of the Industrial Strategy, and it is predominantly urban. Over 80 per cent of equity deals and values are for businesses in cities. A few...

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues for a shift to a system that asks how we can build more of what already works. The ability to deliver transformative public transport is not constrained by a lack of ideas, public support or local ambition. It is constrained by the way decisions are taken at...

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...