This report from UK think tank Labour Together looks at mass transit systems. The UK has fewer mass transit systems than other European countries. This paper, co-authored with the Centre for British Progress, argues that giving metro mayors the power to fund and approve new infrastructure could usher in a new wave of building. Tracy...

This report from UK think tank Labour Together looks at why places should be integral to society. This paper, by Labour Together’s director of devolution policy, JP Spencer, makes an argument for why places should be integral to the society we want to create, restoring civic power so that we can build a stronger economy,...

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out a radical but practical plan to introduce a new tier of regional government: provinces. England’s devolution project is expanding fast, but its next phase risks failing vast areas of the country. New Strategic Authorities are being rolled out nationwide, aimed at boosting local growth and reforming...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities identifies four key reasons why high street vacancy rates vary so much from city to city and how to improve their fortunes. Centre for Cities looks at the variation in performance across high streets in the centres of the UK's largest cties and towns to understand...

This report from UK think tank Localis argues that local authorities must now lead the response to tackling worklessness. Tackling worklessness, long a stated goal yet persistently unmet by government, has become a structural crisis demanding locally driven reform. With over nine million economically inactive working-age adults, the challenge stems from overlapping issues: long-term illness,...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at the geography of the Industrial Strategy. Analysis from Centre for Cities reveals that the eight high-potential sectors targeted by the Industrial Strategy have a strong bias towards the Greater South East. Urban areas are the preferred location for these sectors. But, as noted...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities examines the growing role of Build to Rent (BtR) in urban housing delivery. This briefing examines the growing role of Build to Rent (BtR) in urban housing delivery. It explores where BtR developments are concentrated, how the sector has evolved, and what policy changes could help...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at why a city-focused industrial strategy will not increase place-based discontent. A common argument in the aftermath of the Brexit vote was that people’s political discontent was the result of the widening divide between city and town. Yet, data shows that constituencies with stronger connections...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities looks at the impact of hybrid working on spending patterns in both city centres and their local neighbourhoods. Five years after the UK went into lockdown, this briefing looks at the impact of hybrid working on spending patterns by workers in both city centres and their...

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...