Unpicking the 2025 Budget

Johannes Read, Senior Policy and Data Analyst at the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI) outlines that announcements made in the 2025 Budget on 26th November is more about tinkering with the edges, rather than a deeper, and arguably necessary, reform.  Tackling different types of challenges  Football is a big part of my life. As a … Continue reading “Unpicking the 2025 Budget”

Report Spotlight: Economic & Social Impacts of PhDs

In a new series of blogs, we will be reviewing the current and historical work of City-REDI. In the latest blog, we examine a report written by Hannes Read, Alice Pugh, Rebecca Riley, and George Bramley, which can support a civic university in maximising the impact of its operations to make a difference in places … Continue reading “Report Spotlight: Economic & Social Impacts of PhDs”

What does the 2025 Spending Review mean for Place-Based Economic Development?

One year on from winning the General Election, the Labour Government have outlined its spending review for 2025. Over the course of the Government’s first year, headlines about public finances have focused on tightening budgets. On the one hand, this Spending Review follows in a similar vein. But there are also relatively significant increases in … Continue reading “What does the 2025 Spending Review mean for Place-Based Economic Development?”

Project Spotlight: National Civic Impact Accelerator

In a new series of blogs, we will be reviewing the current and historical work of City-REDI. In the next blog from this series, we look at the National Civic Impact Accelerator and its recent report on demonstrating the economic impacts of civic universities.  What are the 12 pillars of civic university economic impact?  The … Continue reading “Project Spotlight: National Civic Impact Accelerator”

Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities

Alice Pugh discusses the need for universities to improve how they measure and assess their civic and economic impact, particularly in relation to regional inequalities. It critiques current impact assessments for being overly prescriptive and lacking a clear rationale, urging universities to integrate these assessments into strategic frameworks and develop more dynamic, locally contextualized evaluations … Continue reading “Demonstrating the Economic Impacts of Civic Universities”

General Election 2024: Whatever Happened to Levelling Up?

Hannes Read and Abigail Taylor look at how in the 2024 election campaign, ‘levelling up’, the initiative to address regional inequalities, has been largely neglected by major parties, despite its ongoing importance. The phrase ‘levelling up’ – which refers to tackling inequality between places – has been cast aside in the 2024 election campaign. There has … Continue reading “General Election 2024: Whatever Happened to Levelling Up?”

Confessions of an Early Career Evaluator of the Year (Aged 27 and Three Quarters)

Johannes Read discusses his career so far and how it has changed in ways he didn’t think were possible, allowing him to create impact and change to become an Evaluator. This article was originally published in the Evaluator. Find out more about our Evaluation Lab. I came into this profession two years ago not knowing … Continue reading “Confessions of an Early Career Evaluator of the Year (Aged 27 and Three Quarters)”

The Importance of In-Person Events in the age of Hybrid Working: City-REDI Research Symposium

On 17th January, City-REDI held the City-REDI Research Symposium. Johannes Read summaries each presentation and discusses the positive outcomes of the event. In the age of hybrid working, in-person events have taken on a new meaning. These events curate the chance to connect, share, and collaborate. At City-REDI, the City-REDI Research Symposium (CRRESY) is the … Continue reading “The Importance of In-Person Events in the age of Hybrid Working: City-REDI Research Symposium”

Evaluating the Local Economic Impacts of Student Knowledge Exchange

Johannes Read discusses the Impact Tool, developed to analyse the impact of student-led knowledge exchange on the local economy. The Student Knowledge Exchange Re-Imagined- Removing Barriers, Engaging Communities project is funded by the Office for Students and Research England, to improve the engagement of under-represented groups and the not-for-profit sector to remove barriers and engage … Continue reading “Evaluating the Local Economic Impacts of Student Knowledge Exchange”

Addressing the Climate Emergency in Birmingham: Using the Civic Index to Build University-Civic Collaborations

Hannes Read discusses how Universities and regional authorities can use the Civic Index to improve collaboration between these partners and help drive regional economic development. The Civic Index: A Tool Linking Economy, Environment, Institutions, and Place Collaboration between higher education and local/regional authorities is proven to be an important part of local and regional economic … Continue reading “Addressing the Climate Emergency in Birmingham: Using the Civic Index to Build University-Civic Collaborations”