State of coastal areas
The Local Futures Group have produced a 'think-piece' for the SocietyGuardian (12/09/07) on the state of coastal areas, using a sample of 20 seaside districts in England.
The data shows that many coastal towns are being left behind in a changing economy, resulting in social and environmental decay. However, some seaside resorts - particularly those in the south, such as Brighton - have managed to diversify and adapt to these changes, creating thriving localities in which people live and work.
State of the suburbs
The latest research by the Local Futures Group on modern suburban England, commissioned as part of the ‘Successful City-Suburbs’ project, has been published. State of the suburbs assesses the role of English suburbs in the context of the ‘urban renaissance’ and the Government’s ambitions for sustainable development in our towns and cities.
The report provides a snapshot of the social, economic and environmental conditions in a cross-section of suburbs, challenging the stereotypical notion of ‘suburbia’ and highlighting the unique contribution that suburbs make to the success of Britain’s city-regions. Click here for the full report; to find out more about the project, please visit the City-Suburbs website.
Recent press coverage of the State of the suburbs and the Successful City-Suburbs project suggests this is a timely analysis of an important spatial dynamic within Britain.
The Sunday Times, 02/09/2007: 'Suburbs: Brown is starving us into inner-city blight'
SocietyGuardian, 05/09/2007: 'No joke - suburbia is ripe for renaissance'