Cities and Environment

Charting a path to clean air: A community-centred approach to active travel policy

By Sheena Cruickshank Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted: January 30, 2024

Greater Manchester has amongst the worst air quality in the UK. Air pollution causes many health problems, as well as worsening pre-existing health conditions. Increasingly, Greater Manchester residents are concerned about poor air quality and want actions to be taken. Yet, budgets that could support change are under more and more constraints. In this article, […]

Accelerating the electric vehicle transition in the UK

By James Jackson Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: January 22, 2024

Following the publication of the industrial strategy in 2017, in which Theresa May attempted to envisage a post-Brexit future, electric vehicles (EVs) were identified as an important opportunity for the UK political economy. Yet, despite the almost annual publications that reiterated the need for EVs to become a significant feature of the UK, attempts to […]

Promoting flood protection: setting a target for 10% improved water retention in towns and cities

By Graham Haughton and Iain White Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment Posted: January 18, 2024

Every year flooding affects communities around the UK. The Chartered Institute for Water and Environmental Management recently contended that although there has been expert agreement for many years about reforms, policy change has been slow. In part, this is due to the complex governance system within which flooding occurs. In this article, Professor Graham Haughton […]

Mapping pathways to learning

By Claire Forbes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Education, Levelling up Posted: December 7, 2023

How to raise educational outcomes and solve the entrenched attainment gaps between more and less affluent young people has long been a policy concern of successive governments. As the current government moves away from place-based approaches and towards curricular reform to address these gaps, Dr Claire Forbes will suggest that more needs to be done […]

A place to #BeeWell: Neighbourhood effects on young people’s wellbeing

By Neil Humphrey Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Devo, Education, Health and Care Posted: October 19, 2023

There is a public health crisis in young people’s wellbeing. Approximately one in six young people experience high levels of emotional difficulties that are likely to warrant significant additional support. A number of factors can impact wellbeing, and the neighbourhood in which a young person lives is one of them, with differences seen across Greater […]

Mapping the divide: Learning from the landscape of local economic performance

By Cecilia Wong and Wei Zheng Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Inclusive Growth, Levelling up Posted: October 12, 2023

Inequality can be sliced many ways. A key aspect of the UK’s picture on inequality falls starkly along spatial lines of geography. So how can mapping spatial differences make policymaking more effective and targeted? In this article, from our Power in Place publication, Professor Cecilia Wong and Dr Wei Zheng discuss the importance of spatial […]

Artificial Intelligence and future transport and mobility: What do cities want and how can urban planning respond?

By Ransford A. Acheampong Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban Posted: September 14, 2023

Experts agree that automated driving technologies constitute perhaps the most significant transformation in urban and transport planning since the invention of the private motor vehicle. In this article, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong assesses how policy-makers have an urgent responsibility to create alternative urban futures in which we are able to meet our everyday mobility needs […]

Determining the impact of poor air quality in cities on daily life: the value of using ‘citizen sensors’ and agile platforms

By Caroline Jay Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Urban Posted: September 6, 2023

The air in cities can be bad for our health. People who live in cities are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as COPD and be admitted to hospital with asthma attacks and other serious respiratory conditions. Whilst it is important to monitor these, focusing only on life-threatening events can mask a lower-level […]

Built on sand: the need for new environmental standards in the construction industry

By Judy Too and Obuks Ejohwomu Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 2, 2023

The building sector is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions, and many policies have been introduced about the energy efficiency of buildings during their working life. However, little consideration has been given to the whole life of a building, from the production of materials to the disposal of old buildings. Here, Ms Judy Too […]

Data and Decision Making: how AI and data tools can help influence evidence-based policy change.

By David Topping Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment, Science and Technology, Urban Posted: July 6, 2023

It is crucial that policymakers have access to the increasing collection of datasets across our natural environment and other sectors such as health and economics. Currently, much of this data is spread across a variety of platforms which work in silo, making it difficult for users to analyse, assess and ultimately deliver improved policy outcomes. […]