urban areas

Cities and the ethic of care for the stranger

Interventions in the urban unconscious (public spaces, physical infrastructure, public services etc.) have an important role to play in regulating social response to difference, argues Ash Amin. This lecture was presented by Professor Ash Amin from Durham University, with a response from Professor Ziauddin Sardar, a critic, futurist, journalist and prolific writer. In this lecture, he discusses living with diversity and the role of cities in managing cultural difference.

Urban extensions, planning and participation: Lessons from Derwenthorpe and other new communities

This report identifies key issues and lessons for current planning policy and practice concerning the development of new urban extensions. It combines the first-hand learning of practitioners – including the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust at Derwenthorpe in York – with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current policy framework, and draws conclusions that are relevant not just to high-profile “eco-towns” but to all new communities in Britain.

Making a difference: tackling poverty - a progress report

This report was published by the UK Department for Work and Pensions in March 2006. It includes a foreword by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair MP and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton MP. There is an introduction and conclusion but no executive summary. Main chapters are: targeted help for those who need it most; work as a route out of poverty; breaking the cycle of deprivation; delivering high-quality public services.

Unlocking innovation : why citizens hold the key to public service reform (Demos collection 24)

Collection of papers focusing on the theme of renewing and refocusing understanding of innovation. It explores the notion that everyday interactions between people and public services are a potential source of new ideas and that public services should be developed through participation and co-production.