City-REDI, along with Birmingham Business School, hosted the 20th Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2026, funded by the LPIP Hub. Under the theme of “Navigating Futures with Innovation: Resilient and Resurgent Regions”, over 110 participants from 18 countries had a lively two days on Edgbaston campus. Dr Chloe Billing reports on the discussions from the conference … Continue reading “Imagining and Governing Regional Futures”
Placecast Episode 26: Rewiring the State for Devolution and Growth
In this episode of Placecast, Nicola Headlam is joined by Professor Martin Jones, Professor Emeritus and former Professor of Human Geography and Vice Chancellor at Staffordshire University, to explore what a new era of devolution could mean for places across the UK. Against the backdrop of the government’s emerging “rewiring the state” agenda, they discuss … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 26: Rewiring the State for Devolution and Growth”
Regional Innovation Policy in a Post-Rules-Based World
City-REDI, along with Birmingham Business School, hosted the 20th Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2026. Under the theme of “Navigating Futures with Innovation: Resilient and Resurgent Regions”, over 110 participants from 18 countries had a lively two days on Edgbaston campus. Dr Chloe Billing summarises the opening plenary of the Regional Innovation Policies Conference 2026, where … Continue reading “Regional Innovation Policy in a Post-Rules-Based World”
Beyond Training: Building the Business Case and Economic Appraisal Capacity and Capability Needed for Effective Devolution
As strategic authorities take on greater responsibilities through devolution, new LPIP Hub research from Alice Pugh highlights the capacity and capability challenges affecting the development of business cases and economic appraisals across the UK. Business cases and economic appraisals are fundamental to public investment decision-making. They enable public bodies to establish the case for intervention, … Continue reading “Beyond Training: Building the Business Case and Economic Appraisal Capacity and Capability Needed for Effective Devolution”
Circles of Competence – How a New National Cultural Framework Balances the Nationally Coherent With the Locally Differentiated
In this blog, Val Birchall reflects on the Local Government Association’s Smith Square Debate, Rewiring the Cultural System to Deliver Place-Based Outcomes. Drawing on the discussion, Val explores how culture, local leadership and place-based approaches can work together to tackle complex challenges and create better outcomes for communities across the UK. Introduction There has been … Continue reading “Circles of Competence – How a New National Cultural Framework Balances the Nationally Coherent With the Locally Differentiated”
The LPIP Hub in the News – October 2026
Here’s a round-up of all the publications where the LPIP Hub work has been featured: Place-Based Business Case and Economic Appraisal: Capacity and Capability Alice Pugh, October 2026 – view the report. The Civic 6 Framework: The Evolution of University Institutes in Response to Place, Policy and Growth Professor Rebecca Riley, September 2026 – view … Continue reading “The LPIP Hub in the News – October 2026”
Placecast Episode 25: Rebuilding Local Economies Through Textiles and Procurement
In this episode of Placecast, host Nicola Headlam is joined by Tamara Cincik, CEO and founder of Fashion Roundtable and founder of the Great British Wool Revival, alongside Alix Coombs, policy researcher and co-author of Fashion Roundtable’s latest work on public procurement and UK manufacturing. Together, they explore how fashion, textiles and manufacturing are often … Continue reading “Placecast Episode 25: Rebuilding Local Economies Through Textiles and Procurement”
Placecast Episode 24: Manchesterism, Devolution and the Future of Place-Based Leadership
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”