In this special three-way edition of Placecast, Nicola Headlam is joined by Rebecca Riley, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Regional Engagement and Director of City-REDI at the University of Birmingham, and Sarah Longlands, Chief Executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), to explore the rise of “Manchesterism” and what it means for the … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 24: Manchesterism, Devolution and the Future of Place-Based Leadership”
Where is the Capacity Building Strategy for Mayoral Authorities?
This blog was originally written for The Academy of Social Sciences, Dr Jack Newman of the University of Liverpool, Dr Charlotte Hoole of the University of Birmingham, and Dr Sam Warner of the University of Bristol analyse some difficult questions about mayoral capacity and geographic inequality. They suggest that Andy Burnham’s English Devolution plans could … Continue reading “Where is the Capacity Building Strategy for Mayoral Authorities?”
Policy News – September 2026
Policy News highlights the latest reports, inquiries, consultations and research shaping local and regional policy across the UK. Explore key developments in devolution, economic growth, community ownership, skills and place-based policymaking. If you have a research piece you would like to feature in Policy News, please get in touch. UK Government and Parliament Titles Details Date … Continue reading “Policy News – September 2026”
Placecast Episode 23: Water, Place and the Power of Connection
How can water help us think differently about place, policy and public service reform? In this episode of Placecast, presenter Nicola Headlam is joined by Deryck Irving from the University of Stirling and the FORTH2O Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) to explore how water can act as a powerful lens for understanding place-based innovation, resilience … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 23: Water, Place and the Power of Connection”
Unpacking HDRC Shared Lessons: Boundary-Spanning, Payment Paradoxes, and the Infrastructure of Community Engagement
Sophie Cloutterbuck, LPIP Hub Place Fellow, City-REDI, University of Birmingham, blogs on the boundary-spanners keeping London’s health research honest and what happens when councils try to pay residents fairly for their expertise. This post draws on a wider study of London boroughs’ Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) public and partner engagement — read the full … Continue reading “Unpacking HDRC Shared Lessons: Boundary-Spanning, Payment Paradoxes, and the Infrastructure of Community Engagement”
Your University Has a Civic Model. Do You Know What It Is?
Andy Burnham has promised the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen.” No 10 North is open in Manchester. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act is creating strategic authorities with new powers. And universities are being told, explicitly, that they belong “at the heart of local economies.” But here’s the question nobody is … Continue reading “Your University Has a Civic Model. Do You Know What It Is?”
Learning Across Local Policy Innovation Partnerships: What We Heard From a Cross-LPIP Discussion on Innovation, Good Work and Skills
In this blog, Dr Kostas Kollydas and Dr Gerardo Javier Arriaga Garcia reflect on the main themes and lessons from a cross-LPIP discussion on innovation, good work and skills. Introduction Local Policy Innovation Partnerships (LPIPs) bring together universities, policymakers, businesses, communities and other local organisations around shared challenges. While each partnership works in a different … Continue reading “Learning Across Local Policy Innovation Partnerships: What We Heard From a Cross-LPIP Discussion on Innovation, Good Work and Skills”
Placecast Episode 22: Ecological Citizenship, Stewardship and Local Democracy
In this episode of Placecast, presenter Nicola Headlam is joined by Amy Burnett, LPIP Policy Fellow, researcher and practitioner in local governance, sustainability and community-led change. Amy reflects on her journey from working on decentralisation projects in Angola to researching town and parish councils in England, exploring how local democracy, stewardship and participation can create … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 22: Ecological Citizenship, Stewardship and Local Democracy”
Placecast Episode 21: Place, Pride and Poetry – Creative Ways to Understand Community
In this episode of Placecast, presenter Nicola Headlam is joined by Joseph Owen, Nicky Marsh, and Cara Headon to explore how communities understand, experience and shape the places they call home. Drawing on the University of Southampton’s Feeling Towns research and the Mansbridge Heritage Project, the conversation examines the complex idea of “pride in place” … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 21: Place, Pride and Poetry – Creative Ways to Understand Community”
Trust as Infrastructure in Place-Based Innovation
In this blog, Gerardo J. Arriaga‑Garcia, Sophie Cloutterbuck and Nina Ruddle discuss how innovation in place depends on trust, stewardship, system skills and the often invisible intermediary work that connects communities, institutions and decision-making. In a recent episode of Placecast, Dr Gerardo J. Arriaga-Garcia, City-REDI Research Fellow and LPIP Innovation Co-lead, spoke with Nina Ruddle, … Continue reading “Trust as Infrastructure in Place-Based Innovation”