Val Birchall reflects on how fragmented cultural funding and governance are undermining place-based cultural development, and argues that local government reorganisation and devolution present a rare opportunity to create a more coherent cultural ecosystem. While Local Government tackles another reorganisation, the promise of devolution and the increasing challenge of funding discretionary services, the government has … Continue reading “Art Without Architecture – The Accidental System for Supporting Cultural Development and Why It Needs Addressing”
Category: Place Fellow
How Does Civic Power Accumulate?
Mark Swift argues that places must move beyond one-off participation initiatives and invest in the civic infrastructure that enables civic capability, confidence, leadership and influence to accumulate across the life course. This blog is based on Mark’s recent report – Building Civic Capability: A Life Course Framework for Place. From participation to capability Over the … Continue reading “How Does Civic Power Accumulate?”
Meet LPIP Place Fellow Andrew Reeves: Focussed on Civic Universities and Place-Based Climate Action
About Me How do we make a positive difference to big environmental challenges like the climate crisis within the specific communities where we live and work together? Broadly speaking, this is the question I’ve been grappling with for 20+ years through a wide range of voluntary projects and more recently as an academic, currently working … Continue reading “Meet LPIP Place Fellow Andrew Reeves: Focussed on Civic Universities and Place-Based Climate Action”
Why Public Systems Need to Learn from the Outside-In
In this blog, Mark Swift argues that public sector transformation is no longer driven solely from within institutions. Increasingly, the most valuable insights are emerging from the spaces between systems, communities, and lived experience. This blog discusses the findings in Mark’s recent report – The Outside-In: The Role of Social Entrepreneurs in Public Sector Transformation. … Continue reading “Why Public Systems Need to Learn from the Outside-In”
What AI Is (and Isn’t) Delivering for Local Government
Kevin Fenning discusses his new report looking at the use of AI in local government. Read the report – AI in Local Government: Adoption, Benefits and Challenges Artificial intelligence (AI) will be one of the defining technologies of the 21st century, offering the potential to massively expand the capabilities of computers, and likely ushering in … Continue reading “What AI Is (and Isn’t) Delivering for Local Government”
Using Arts-Based Methods To Bring Community, Business and Environmental Issues Into Dialogue
LPIP Fellow Allan Macleod introduces himself and the work planned during his place fellowship for the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub. I am passionate about helping community voices to be heard in policymaking and believe that research and community-based policymaking is the best way to deliver a more just and equal future for all. In my work … Continue reading “Using Arts-Based Methods To Bring Community, Business and Environmental Issues Into Dialogue”
Dialling Up Democracy: Renewing Trust Through Civic Innovation
Mark Swift discusses how participatory governance and democratic innovation can help rebuild trust in public life. This article draws on a policy working paper exploring how democratic innovation can strengthen trust, participation and governance in the UK. The full paper examines these ideas in greater depth and outlines practical pathways for “dialling up democracy” in the … Continue reading “Dialling Up Democracy: Renewing Trust Through Civic Innovation”
Three Lessons for Place-Based Green Industrial Policy
Dr Ed Atkins explores three examples of the place-based implications of net zero as a process of industrial change. This blog is based on a recent report by Dr Atkins – Developing place-based green industrial policy in the UK. The UK government’s legal obligation to reach net zero by 2050 demands significant, long-term action. Reducing … Continue reading “Three Lessons for Place-Based Green Industrial Policy”
Meet Helen O’Gara, Public Health Professional, Local Charity Leader and LPIP Hub Place Fellow
I am a public health practitioner in a local authority, a charity leader in a small town and, at heart, a community development creative practitioner. I have been a youth worker both in local authority and the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector. I have been an artist, recruited for a purpose to bring to … Continue reading “Meet Helen O’Gara, Public Health Professional, Local Charity Leader and LPIP Hub Place Fellow”
A Learning Journey on Building Cohesive, Powerful Communities
I am Dr Angela Jeffery, Co-Chair of Birmingham Citizens, and I am keen to introduce the Local Policy and Innovation Partnerships project that I am working on. Although a biologist by background, I have been working on Community Development since 2019, when I led the development of the Aston University Civic Agreement and managed the … Continue reading “A Learning Journey on Building Cohesive, Powerful Communities”