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The beach at Margate, in Kent, at sunset. In the background, a tower block stands behind the Dreamland theme park.

A landscape of need: mapping community resilience in England

By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Inclusive Growth Posted:

Community resilience is a marker of how well communities can handle and recover from difficult events. It is referred to in various resilience framework policies; but how is it measured, and how can it be used to target support? Here, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford outline their work in developing a new measure – […]

The toll of ‘Deaths of Despair’ in England

By and Filed Under: British Politics, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up, Urban Posted:

In 2015, a phenomenon coined as ‘Deaths of Despair’ (DoD) emerged in the US, highlighting an alarming increase in mortality due to drugs, alcohol, and suicides, particularly among white men without a college education. Here, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford explore the spatial patterning of these deaths in England, where an estimated 46,200 lives […]

Ill-health and deprivation: How we can address health inequalities in left behind neighbourhoods

By Filed Under: All posts, Devo, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

We have long known that the health of people living in deprived areas is worse than the national average. But this raises important questions, such as how big is the gap? Is it narrowing or growing over time? Are some deprived places worse off than others? And how do health inequalities affect economic performance? In […]

Levelling up or widening the gap?

By and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Levelling up, UK economy Posted:

There are deep-rooted regional inequalities in health and wealth across England. ‘Levelling Up’ is the UK Government’s flagship policy to redress these inequalities through additional investment, with the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) one strand of this funding. In this article, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford examine the allocation of the first round of the […]

Health inequalities and regional productivity

By and Filed Under: Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Levelling up, OnProductivity Posted:

The health of those living in the north is worse than those living in the south, and this inequality is reflected in the comparative economic performance as well. The regional inequality in economic performance is prominent throughout the United Kingdom. In this blog, Dr Luke Munford and Professor Clare Bambra explore the links between health […]

Child of the North: The economic impacts of child health

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up, UK economy Posted:

The economic performance of the North of England consistently lags behind the national average. One factor that could partly explain this ‘productivity gap’ is the poorer physical and mental health of children in the North, along with a widening educational gap, with long-lasting impacts on the labour market. In this blog, Dr Rose Atkins and […]

cyclists in a park

How to build healthy cities

James EvansDavid ToppingSheena CruickshankJamie Anderson By , , , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

Cities are key places. Changing the way we plan and develop cities will be essential to meet our net zero targets as well as improve the health and lives of people in urban areas. In this blog, Professor James Evans, Dr Luke Munford, Professor David Topping, Professor Sheena Cruickshank and Dr Jamie Anderson explore the […]

The Child of the North: Building a fairer future after COVID-19

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Education, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence has shown the effects of the disease, and measures to contain it, have not been felt equally across the UK, with the North of England one of the hardest hit regions. Even before the pandemic, the North suffered from higher levels of poverty, poor health, and inequality compared to […]

Protecting our children’s memory – how can we tackle the scourge of poor air quality in and around our schools?

Martie van Tongeren By and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Every day, children are exposed to levels of pollution, both during their journeys to and from school but also in playgrounds and classrooms. Results from a new literature review carried out by The University of Manchester suggests traffic-related air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are detrimental to cognitive functioning in children […]

aerial snapshot of Manchester

Health for wealth: The link between health inequalities and productivity in northern England

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted:

Productivity in the UK, and particularly in the northern regions of England, has remained stubbornly low for decades, prompting economists to discuss a ‘productivity puzzle’. Here, Dr Luke Munford, explains how his research into health inequalities in northern England shows that investing in the health of the population could translate directly into substantial gains in […]

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