This briefing examines the concept of ‘Doughnut Economics’ as an increasingly popular model around which to structure change at a local level. For local government, this model offers a guide to policy making that re-centres value by setting out the social and ecological parameters for decision-making while fostering collaboration and inter-departmental working.
The recent pandemic reminds us all that the basic functioning of the economy, and the building blocks of a fair society, depend on the good health of all of our population. In this briefing, the interrelationship between health and the environment is discussed, alongside how local government can support a recovery from Covid-19 that has…
Now, in the recovery phase, there is an opportunity to seek out and implement alternative approaches to local economic development that prioritise the needs and wants of local people and communities over that of external shareholder profit. This briefing will be of interest to local authorities who want to take action to address the external…
This briefing explores Electric Vehicle charging and explores the issues that an EV fleet transition will raise for Councils including location selection criteria for EV charging stations, issues around charging station design, tariff choice and integration of EVs into council electricity infrastructure
Not all non-UK nationals health and social care workers are being offered free visa extensions during the pandemic. Some are struggling to meet visa rules, or becoming destitute due to ‘no recourse to public funds’ rules. A Home Affairs select committee report urges greater flexibility over immigration and visas.
Despite legislated participatory measures enacted to enable decentralised government, neighbourhood issues are not always addressed. We focus here on the South African experience of community engagement and participation, but many of the concerns are common to other countries, including the UK.
Local governments fund the vast bulk of public library operations across Australia. This briefing looks at public libraries as generators of not only significant community value but economic activity in their local economies, through library operating expenditure and spending of library users.
Two in five people across the UK live in a town, but it is the unique sense of place, identity and shared history of each town that means that policies aimed at their regeneration cannot be rolled out in a way that discounts how distinctive their histories, current circumstances, and ambitions for the future are.…
Our town centres and high streets were already facing an existential crisis before Covid-19 struck. A new vision of local economies based on community and social connection, rather than retail and consumption, is being proposed. Local and national policy changes are needed to make it happen.
The NSW Government is preparing a comprehensive Housing Strategy for the whole of the state. This briefing reviews a discussion paper released to assist councils in preparing their own submissions, as well as briefing on key themes and potential implications for local government.