Manchester Urban Institute blog
Catch up on the most recent posts from our 'Urban' and 'Growth and Inclusion' blogs located on the Policy@Manchester website.
Global Development Institute blog posts in partnership with MUI
The Global Development Institute works closely with the Manchester Urban Institute, with many colleagues affiliates of both institutions. Read more about some of our joint events.
Dealing with COVID-19 in the towns and cities of the global South.
Global Development Institute - 25 March 2020
What creates a pro-poor politics and the possibility of participatory planning?
Global Development Institute - 14 May 2019
GDI Lecture: Ambitious and ambiguous public investments in African cities with Edgar Pieterse
Global Development Institute - 10 May 2019
External blog posts by colleagues
Next COVID casualty: Cities hit hard by the pandemic face bankruptcy
Mark Davidson, Kevin Ward - 30 July 2020
Beyond the rainbows: the missing voices of children and young people in this pandemic
Deborah Ralls - 10 July 2020
Temporary urban solutions help us deal with crisis – and can lead to radical shifts in city space
Michael Martin, Iain Deas, Stephen Hincks - 15 April 2020
Nature rebounding in the peri-urban landscapes that the industrial revolution left behind: North West England’s carbon landscape
Janice Astbury, Joanne Tippett - 3 January 2019
I Have Seen the Future
Diana Mitlin - 24 September 2018
Egypt is building a new capital city from scratch – here’s how to avoid inequality and segregation
Nuno Pinto, Aya Badawy - 24 September 2018
Transforming Beijing through eco-urbanisation: the development of Xiongan New Special Zone, China’s ‘second capital’
Zhan Wang, Xiangzheng Deng, Cecilia Wong, Jiancheng Chen - 14 July 2017
Beijing’s green infrastructure – addressing climate change in a rapidly urbanising megacity
Wei Zheng, Cecilia Wong - 6 July 2017
The challenges of sustainability and well being in the context of rapid urbanisation: the situation in Beijing
Miao Qiao - 3 July 2017 (First published at Blogged Environment, the blog of the Built Environment journal)
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Hiding in plain sight: why are the UK and US keeping the transatlantic trade negotiations under wraps?
17 May 2021
In the current climate of political uncertainty, transparency is fundamental to the negotiation of the UK-US free trade agreement. Coupled with the economic ramifications of the pandemic, which has had a profound impact on both countries, transparency will play an integral role in legitimising the outcome of this agreement and its acceptance from a democratic […]
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Why the success of a green recovery requires engaging with – and learning from – minority communities
21 April 2021
Although the UK has world-leading net zero targets, simply setting the target is not enough. Achieving it requires the participation of all sectors of society. However, racialized minority communities are underrepresented in mainstream approaches to achieving environmental sustainability. To redress this marginalization, Dr Sherilyn MacGregor and Dr Nafhesa Ali from the Sustainable Consumption Institute explain […]
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Infodemic: tackling conspiracy theories on social media
29 March 2021
In February 2020 the Director-General of the World Health Organisation warned that “we’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic,” because “fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous.” There has been large debate around ways to control the spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially on […]
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Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: moving towards evidence-based, data-driven responses
25 March 2021
As children and young people return to classroom education, schools have a vital role to play in assessing and supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Here, Professor Neil Humphrey from the Manchester Institute of Education argues that schools should routinely collect reliable mental health and wellbeing data, with which they can ‘build […]
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LGBTIQ+ experiences of COVID-19 in the UK and the need for more inclusive crisis policies
10 March 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging effects for people across the UK. However, some groups have felt the effects of the pandemic and its associated lockdowns more than others. In this blog, Dr Billy Haworth, from the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, shares their recent research into the experiences of LGBTIQ+ populations during COVID-19. They […]
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The Levelling-up Budget?
4 March 2021
The Conservative Government’s 2019 general election manifesto included a promise to ‘listen to the people who have felt left behind’. There was also a commitment in the Budget 2020 to drive economic growth sustainably and improve living standards by boosting productivity and levelling up skills across the UK, along with future commitments to increase investment […]
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COVID-19 and social inequality: Developing community-centred interventions
22 February 2021
On January 13 2021, it was reported that more than 100,000 people had died from coronavirus in the UK, with the figure for that day alone being 1,546 deaths. The UK has one of the worst coronavirus mortality rates in the world, at 151 per 100,000 people but now the roll-out of the vaccination is […]
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From celebration to public policy: International Mother Language Day as a civic identity badge
16 February 2021
On 21 February 2021, Manchester will again be celebrating UNESCO International Mother Language Day (IMLD). This year’s activities will be held online to accommodate to the pandemic conditions. For the second time, they are being coordinated by the City of Literature initiative based in Manchester’s local authority. In this blog, Professor Yaron Matras, Dr Daniele […]
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Filling a youth-shaped gap in the FE White Paper: Reducing inequalities in post-16 progression
8 February 2021
The new Further Education (FE) White Paper claims its proposals will transform post-16 education and training in England. It acknowledges that not enough people develop technical skills at Level 3 and above. Yet it has nothing to say about the thousands of young people who do not progress smoothly from GCSEs to Level 3 programmes. […]
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How can we drive businesses to deliver on Net Zero?
3 February 2021
Nearly a fifth of the UK’s carbon emissions are generated by businesses. With global emissions expected to be just 4% lower than in 2019, urgent action is required across all sectors to achieve net zero goals. But how can we push businesses to sustainability when their bottom line is at stake? Here, Professor Jonatan Pinkse, […]
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Why parents need the right to stay home without risk to their income or jobs when schools are closed
21 January 2021
Under the UK government’s furlough scheme, parents can be placed on furlough if they have caring responsibilities for a child who is at home as a result of school closures. However, a parent’s request for furlough depends upon the agreement of their employer, which is not always forthcoming. In this blog, Dr Isabel Tavora and […]
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Rise to the top: Socially responsible public procurement
19 October 2020
Amidst the social and economic challenges of a post-Brexit, post-COVID landscape, public procurement is gaining increased visibility and legitimacy as a policy tool. Effective 1 January 2021, the UK is positioned to become the first nation in the world to mandate that taxpayer-funded contracts are fully leveraged to maximise social value. A minimum 10% weighting […]
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Protecting our children’s memory – how can we tackle the scourge of poor air quality in and around our schools?
8 October 2020
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 […]
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COVID-19 and sustainable everyday routines
1 October 2020
Climate change requires rapid and fundamental transformation of our society to change the way that resources like energy and water are used during everyday routines. However, unsustainable consumption proves surprisingly impervious to policies and interventions intended to reduce emissions, not least because taken-for-granted ways of living become ‘locked-in’ by cultural and material conditions of society. […]
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How to support refugees’ and asylum seekers’ health and wellbeing
10 August 2020
Spending time in an allotment was permitted as a form of exercise throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, and as it eases, provides a physically distanced way of socialising. In this blog, researcher Jo Biglin outlines the vital role these spaces play in the mental and physical wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees, and suggests policies to […]
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The retrofitting challenge in Manchester
13 July 2020
During January-March 2020, Mateusz Ziembla, together with Dr Elvira Uyarra and Professor Jonatan Pinkse, undertook a study for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), funded by Research England, aimed at analysing the challenges associated with improving the energy efficiency of existing housing stock in order to articulate recommendations for policy action. Cost-effective decarbonisation of domestic […]
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COVID-19 and the future of urban mobility
12 June 2020
COVID-19 has comprehensively disrupted urban mobility systems. Public transport authorities are running skeleton services, while streets are less congested. In the midst of lockdown conditions, urban mobility systems look unrecognisable. Here, Dr Mike Hodson and Professor Andrew McMeekin reflect on how different areas have responded to the lockdown, and discuss key considerations that will shape […]
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COVID-19 and the challenge of crisis urbanism | James Evans, Karen Lucas, Jim Walker and Bronwen Thornton
8 June 2020
The post COVID-19 and the challenge of crisis urbanism | James Evans, Karen Lucas, Jim Walker and Bronwen Thornton appeared first on Manchester Urban Institute blog.
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Not enough beds, not enough care: putting New York City’s COVID-19 crisis in context | Caitlin Henry
8 June 2020
The post Not enough beds, not enough care: putting New York City’s COVID-19 crisis in context | Caitlin Henry appeared first on Manchester Urban Institute blog.
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COVID-19: What should transport and mobility responses be now and beyond?
3 June 2020
The measures we put in place around transport and mobility are critical to how we emerge from this pandemic and rebuild in the coming years. In this blog, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong examines how to make transport safe as some of the most vulnerable groups are returning to work, and shows that active travel is […]
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