Based on personal reflections from the author’s time in four Nordic cities, this insightful briefing takes a ‘street level’ view and provides practical case study examples of the ways these cities have been designed for various aspects of everyday mobility to help Nordic society retain a year-round outdoor culture. These places support having fun, for both children and adults, and without a doubt, there is much to be gained from the provisions and practices in these places, especially when it comes to keeping morale high during extreme climate conditions. Read here.

As an affiliated member country to the World Health Organization’s global Age-Friendly network, Ireland has been working to develop age-friendly towns through a concentrated multi-stakeholder focus on local areas. These towns support active ageing and facilitate older adults to take part in their communities, focusing not just on the built environment but also on transport, access to services, safety, and cultural and recreational opportunities. Read here.

Supporting and funding sexual health services is important for numerous reasons, however, in many countries services are underfunded and struggle to reach all communities. As a result, councils are seeking new ways to diversify care and improve access. Case study examples are explored in this briefing which deep dives into both the challenges and possible solutions to strengthen services at a local level. Read here.

Millions of people are digitally excluded due to poor internet connections or a lack of IT skills. Councils play a vital role in reducing digital exclusion, however, they are dependent on partners to ensure that more people can get online and use digital technology. This briefing explores what is happening to achieve this around the UK with some fantastic case study examples that have practical guidance for a global audience. Read here.

This briefing is the first of a four-part series from Australia which explores opportunities for local government to grow local productivity and place-based wellbeing by intentionally adopting anchor approaches. In this overview, you’ll get a firm understanding of the key concepts and an insight into the ongoing discussion about how anchor approaches can benefit local areas. Read here.

Community wealth building has five pillars that are used as a framework for exploring key thinking for local government, wider public sector and community sectors to work together towards significant local whole-systems change. This briefing explores some concrete actions that public and community sectors can pursue together for local and more equitable, generative sustainable development. The context is the need for a suitable post-pandemic recovery and the urgency that this social-ecological crisis now demands. Read here.

The long-awaited UK government food strategy released this year aimed to deliver on ambitions for a prosperous UK agri-food sector – in turn contributing to levelling up; greater food security in an unpredictable world; and healthier, affordable and more sustainable diets for all. Local government is expected to play an important role in delivering on these priorities, so this briefing asks what the strategy may look like in practice at a local level. Read here.

This briefing from our Australia team lays out the five broad, interconnected benefits of successful placemaking efforts – as supported by reports and research from around the world – to provide a clear understanding of how they can directly contribute towards areas like urban planning, economic development and sustainability on a local level. Read here.

This international briefing reports on where we’re at in the global shift to micromobility, exploring some of the benefits and problems arising through the experiences of the last few years. By utilising global case studies and research, a series of tips are provided on how to address common issues while making the most of potential co-benefits. Read here.

Hybrid working is operating successfully in local governments across the UK and the wider world since the Covid-19 pandemic and research has found that it has become increasingly popular among staff. Some councils are now going further and introducing home working contracts or trialling four-day weeks. In this case study briefing, we ask, what does this mean for traditional office or desk-based working and is there a new balance to be found? Read here.

This briefing from Australia summarises the country’s wellbeing framework in a global context and discusses the implications of applying a national wellbeing framework for local government, including its direct role in fostering a wellbeing economy on a local scale. Read here.

Our brand-new briefing highlights examples of community and workforce mental health support in Ireland and Australia. Also looking at how the psychological model of compassion can help local government leaders lessen the impact of mental ill health on staff. Read here.