This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at making England’s ‘devolution revolution’ a reality. By May, over half of England’s population will live in an area covered by a metro mayor. The mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) they lead have already shown their capacity to take on responsibility for key local economic...

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out a practical roadmap for realising the full potential of Strategic Authorities by evolving them to become more decisive, accountable, and capable. England’s devolution agenda is at a turning point. A new generation of Strategic Authorities is being rolled out across the country. They are intended to...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute recommends a shift toward a pro-growth, framework to ensure that Britain’s nightlife remains a global attraction. The report Last Orders, co-authored by Sacha Lord and the Adam Smith Institute, highlights the precarious state of Britain’s hospitality and night-time economy. It argues that the sector—once a...

This report from UK think tank Re:State makes the case for the strategic regional tier that would be required to unlock the full potential of devolution. England’s approach to regional governance is at a crossroads. While devolution has made significant strides, with the expansion of Combined Authorities and metro mayors, the system remains fragmented and...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI maps regional trends in public investment in culture, and provides a stark view of diminishing funding levels for the region’s position as a cultural powerhouse. Culture Central and West Midlands Cultural Compacts Network launched their Growth enquiry into the future of cultural investment in the West Midlands, which...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines geographic gaps in ageing across the country. All developed countries are ageing, and the UK is no different. The combination of rising life expectancy, a large cohort of baby boomers moving into retirement and falling birth rates means the country’s median age rose from 33.9...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government outlines what powers are available to metro mayors to drive regeneration. The regeneration of disused, deprived and deindustrialised urban areas across England will be crucial to the government’s ability to achieve its economic growth targets. It will also bring other benefits, like reducing regional inequality...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities investigates whether the current planning system has seen private housebuilding reach rates high enough to meet the new national target. Using newly available data on English housebuilding by local authority since 1946, digitised by Centre for Cities, this report investigates whether the current planning system has...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI aims to understand how universities are currently measuring their civic economic impact. The purpose of this report is to understand how universities are currently measuring their civic economic impact. Universities are not fully embedding their civic economic impact within their strategic framework and decision making. An economic impact...

This report from UK think tank Power to Change explores community cohesion, empowerment and growth in response to the riots across the UK this summer. Torn social fabric lay behind disorder this summer. The government’s communities policy must move from responding to crisis to consistency. We know community cohesion is back on the agenda for...

This report from UK think tank Localis explores funding local government in this Parliament and beyond. The financial problems facing local government in England are well rehearsed. The deteriorating impact of shrinking budgets on public services and the state of the public realm formed an important part of the Labour Party’s platform of ‘change’ in...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities provides a comprehensive picture of domestic visitor spending across the UK. This report provides a comprehensive picture of domestic visitor spending across the UK’s 63 largest cities for the first time, and sets out the ‘visitor offer’ in each place and how that compares nationally.

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at how to tackle loneliness through the built environment. This report shows how the government can tackle loneliness through the built environment, defined in this report as the man-made structures and features that viewed collectively, form the places in which people live. For...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores the economy of England’s second city and a high-quality resource for informing research, policy and investment decisions. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second city and a...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities states that an economic geography approach to English devolution would be the most pragmatic. The forthcoming English Devolution White Paper will be an important milestone for economic growth and public service reform. The Government is correct to see devolution within England as a priority, and the...