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A Realising Just Cities Project

Jam and Justice

News, events and blog

A new policy brief on co-production in climate politics

A new policy brief has been published by Dr. Ryan Bellinson examining how the concept of co-production can be used as an approach to promote participative urban climate policy development. This policy brief draws on his recent PhD research that was supervised by Urban Institute Director Professor Beth Perry and Co-Director Professor Aidan While.

  • Read more about A new policy brief on co-production in climate politics

Realising Just Cities through savings

Seeing the inner city from the South was a Realising Just Cities action research project which took place between 2017-2019 at the Sheffield-Manchester Local Interaction Platform. The research was co-produced between Dr Sophie King and women engaged in community action in areas of high deprivation in Manchester, Salford and Stockport.

  • Read more about Realising Just Cities through savings

Innovating Local Democracy

As part of our commitment to co-production, Jam and Justice Action Research Collective members had access to a personal knowledge exchange and impact budget to support institutional and sectoral learning and take findings back into different worlds of work and life.

  • Read more about Innovating Local Democracy

International Funding Conference 2019

As part of our commitment to co-production, Jam and Justice ARC members had access to a personal knowledge exchange and impact budget to support institutional and sectoral learning and take findings back into different worlds of work and life.

  • Read more about International Funding Conference 2019

New paper on participatory local governance and social enterprise

As part of our commitment to co-production, Jam and Justice Action Research Collective members had access to a personal knowledge exchange and impact budget to support institutional and sectoral learning and take findings back into different worlds of work and life.

  • Read more about New paper on participatory local governance and social enterprise
Infographic from the report Realising Just Cities: An Overview of Activity 2016–2019

Realising Just Cities needs innovative funding -- reporting back from RJC UK

“Innovative funding and enabling institutions are needed to support and nurture dedicated researchers to work in partnerships to realise just cities.” This is among the conclusions of Realising Just Cities: An Overview of Activity 2016–2019, a new report which also demonstrates what becomes possible when such support is in place.

  • Read more about Realising Just Cities needs innovative funding -- reporting back from RJC UK

Towards sustainable food: three inspirational projects in Liverpool

Our second guest post by Rene Meijer, Action Research Team member of SAFE, a project aiming to convene spaces for exchanging knowledge and amplifying work towards more urban food systems.

  • Read more about Towards sustainable food: three inspirational projects in Liverpool

Exploring financialisation in and around central Manchester

By Richard Goulding, 30th October 2019

Central Manchester’s apartment boom has become a matter of running controversy in recent years. The city’s political leaders and development industry argue this has brought renewed growth after 20th Century decline brought on by deindustrialisation. Critics point to disconnect between cranes on the skyline and a crisis of street and ‘hidden’ homelessness, asking who benefits from the city’s regeneration.

  • Read more about Exploring financialisation in and around central Manchester

Decidim: A Digital Participation Platform for Greater Manchester?

Building on our ongoing Developing Coproductive Capacities research with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), we invited Arnau Monterde – a supervisor of Barcelona’s Decidim platform – to share Barcelona’s experience in integrating digital platforms as part of a wider transformation of the democratic process.

  • Read more about Decidim: A Digital Participation Platform for Greater Manchester?

Reflections on the Co-production in Action Field Trip

By Adrian Ball - 23rd October 2019

  • Read more about Reflections on the Co-production in Action Field Trip

Space in Common: what we learnt

As Space in Common has come to an end, we’ve created a short report assessing what was achieved and sharing some of the key points learnt from these discussions.

  • Read more about Space in Common: what we learnt

Event report: The 21st Century Councillor framework Tested

On Friday 5 July, Councillors, council officers, and participants from the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sector joined us at Federation House for a half-day workshop exploring findings from focus groups re-examining the role of local Councillors. This was the closing stakeholder event for our ARC project, Testing the 21st Century Councillor framework, delivered in partnership with North West Employers.

  • Read more about Event report: The 21st Century Councillor framework Tested

Co-Producing Calls to Action: outcomes from the third Coalitions for Change event

On Monday 1 July, we gathered in the Defiant room at Federation House in Manchester for the third in a series of events intended to explore how the networks around Jam and Justice might pioneer Greater Manchester as a model of co-production. The main event began with a cake-cutting, marking the official opening of Jam & Justice’s National Co-Production Week activities. And yes, the cake was every bit as good as it looks.

  • Read more about Co-Producing Calls to Action: outcomes from the third Coalitions for Change event

Report launch: How can we govern cities differently?

More than sixty people gathered at the Ziferblat event space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to celebrate the publication of the report, How can we govern cities differently? The promise and practices of co-production.

  • Read more about Report launch: How can we govern cities differently?

Report out today - How can we govern cities differently?

Reporting back from 3.5 years of research, How can we govern cities differently? The promise and practices of co-production -- was published on Wednesday 3 July 2019.

As it says on the cover:

Towns, cities and city-regions are facing urgent questions:

How can a wider and more diverse range of people be included in governing cities?
How can we bring together what we know to tackle critical issues in our cities?
How can we change policies and decision-making to produce fairer outcomes?

  • Read more about Report out today - How can we govern cities differently?
Calendar of events in National Co-Production Week

National Co-Production Week programme - Jam and Justice

1-5 July is National Co-Production Week. Jam and Justice is marking the occasion with a series of co-hosted events in Greater Manchester and the release of our report, How Can We Govern Cities Differently? The Promise and Practices of Co-Production.

  • Read more about National Co-Production Week programme - Jam and Justice
Peterloo Now: Panel debating 'The Gaps in Representation', Manchester Central Library, June 2019

Filling the gaps: Jam & Justice at Peterloo 2019

On Tuesday 18 June, ARC member Paul Maher joined the panel for a debate on The Gaps in Representation. Part of the Peterloo Now series, organised by Manchester Histories and the University of Manchester, the event was hosted by Manchester Central Library and promoted as part of Guardian Live.

  • Read more about Filling the gaps: Jam & Justice at Peterloo 2019
Snapshot of GM Curriculum for Life topics from the Youth Combined Authority's March newsletter

Priorities in Greater Manchester's Curriculum for Life

In April, the young researchers leading Young People Missing from Decisions took their Life Lessons report to Churchgate House, the home of Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority. They were there to share their findings with the Youth Combined Authority, meeting directly with the working group who have responsibility for agreeing what should be in Greater Manchester’s new Curriculum for Life.

  • Read more about Priorities in Greater Manchester's Curriculum for Life

From managerial to collaborative methods

During a visit to Gothenburg in March 2019, the Jam and Justice delegation held three workshops with officers from Gothenburg City Council and Gothenburg Region Assocation of Local Authorities. In this 6th post from the translocal learning series, Jam and Justice ARC member Adrian Ball reflects how preparing to speak in Gothenburg prompted him to appreciate the ways the project had influenced his day job.

Adrian writes:

  • Read more about From managerial to collaborative methods
Photograph of deliberative session from the Care at Home Inquiry with logos

Care at Home Inquiry: Feedback event with GM Health & Social Care Partnership

In April 2019, the Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership (GMHSC) hosted a feedback event to look at how recommendations from our Care at Home Inquiry inform the shape of their Transformation programme.

  • Read more about Care at Home Inquiry: Feedback event with GM Health & Social Care Partnership
An Evening with Jam and Justice - How can we govern cities differently? (Banner image)

An Evening with Jam & Justice

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 - 17:30 to 20:00
Ziferblat, Edge Street, Manchester, M4 1HW

The Jam and Justice Action Research Collective will be sharing what we have learned and celebrating the outcomes of our projects in Greater Manchester.

  • Read more about An Evening with Jam & Justice

Co-Production: Working with Local Democracy

In this fourth post for our Trans-local Learning mini-series, GMCA officer Anne Lythgoe reflects on a visit to Gothenburg Region.

Co-production: working with local democracy

Co-production is a way of designing and delivering public services in a more democratic fashion, giving citizens control over the day-to-day decisions which affect their lives. [source]

  • Read more about Co-Production: Working with Local Democracy

Co-Production Treasure: learning through first-hand observation

On 26 March 2019, the Jam and Justice team collaborated with the National Association for Neighbourhood Management (NANM) to run a "treasure hunt" in Greater Manchester, exploring findings from Jam and Justice through a direct encounter with community projects. Ben Lee of NANM reports on the event.

  • Read more about Co-Production Treasure: learning through first-hand observation
Process diagram showing events from January to September.

Co-Produce GM: Calls to Action

Monday, July 1, 2019 - 14:00 to 16:30

The third session in our #CoProduceGM series -- join us as we prepare to pass the baton.

Join the Jam and Justice coalitions team in formulating calls to action around our shared vision of co-producing Greater Manchester.

Jam and Justice’s Action Research Collective has brought together practitioners, activists, decision-makers, leaders and academics based in and around Greater Manchester, to forge coalitions that outlive our research project.

  • Read more about Co-Produce GM: Calls to Action
Barriers to organisational co-production (sketch by Hannah Peake)

Tyrannies, tribulations and action learning: Jam & Justice at #VCSEEngage

The GM VCSE Co-Production Assembly, convened by active co-producers, is home to an emergent community of practice. Hosted at the headquarters of Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation, the informal membership assembled for the second time at the end of March, having first met in December 2018.

  • Read more about Tyrannies, tribulations and action learning: Jam & Justice at #VCSEEngage
Jam and Justice learning exchange -- workshop 1 with Gothenburg Region

Sharing, Learning, Connecting: Gothenburg exchange, 12-15 March 2019

In March 2019, an 11-person delegation travelled from the UK to the Swedish city of Gothenburg for a learning exchange, supported by Jam and Justice and Mistra Urban Futures.

Iona Hine, ESRC Impact Officer for Jam and Justice, reports:

With 11 people in the delegation, we must have had at least 12 reasons for taking part in the exchange. When the Greater Manchester group met for a pre-trip briefing, we identified three core goals:

  • Read more about Sharing, Learning, Connecting: Gothenburg exchange, 12-15 March 2019
Who initiates co-production and why? - Beth Perry (University of Sheffield) sets the scene for a discussion of principles and values.

Co-Producing Greater Manchester: a report from Coalitions for Change 2

A report from Jam & Justice's second coalition-forging event:

This was a day of two parts, and each began with a viewing of the short video made to capture the essence of the first Coalitions for Change event.

  • Read more about Co-Producing Greater Manchester: a report from Coalitions for Change 2
Beth Perry (left) presents at the English Co-Production Network event. Slide (right) shows the covers of different outputs from Jam and Justice's ARC projects.

Forming an English Co-Production Network

On 28 March 2019, people with a passion for co-producing gathered in central Manchester to explore the potential for an English Co-Production Network. The event was organised by Co:Create, a Sheffield-based outfit linked to South Yorkshire Housing Association and funded by the Department of Health to support co-production in commissioning.

  • Read more about Forming an English Co-Production Network

Greater Manchester’s 2019 Green Summit: A crossroads in the city-region's path towards climate change action?

Ryan Bellinson is a postgraduate researcher embedded in Greater Manchester's Low Carbon Hub. He reports from the 2019 Mayoral Green Summit:

  • Read more about Greater Manchester’s 2019 Green Summit: A crossroads in the city-region's path towards climate change action?
Jam and Justice action researcher Sarah Whitehead (photo c/o Salford Now)

Dinner with Madeleine Albright?

Last week, Jam and Justice ARC member Sarah Whitehead was in Gothenburg, “looking at how communities, academics and businesses work together to produce solutions to the issues in communities.” The trip meant missing the Spirit of Salford award ceremony (where Sarah was nominated for Citizen of the Year), so we wanted to share some extracts from Salford Now's profile of Sarah & her work, as reported by Yann Robinson (14 March 2019).

  • Read more about Dinner with Madeleine Albright?
Treasure hunt map overlaid on Jam and Justice GM logo

Co-Production Treasure Hunt

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - 09:30 to 17:00
Eccles, Greater Manchester

A day out and about in Greater Manchester, meeting with community actors in their own spaces and localities. Just like a regular treasure hunt, we will actively go looking for ideas and learning, piecing together clues, and getting to know our fellow treasure-hunters along the way.

In the morning, you will receive a welcome & briefing, outlining the kind of treasure we are seeking. This includes insights into innovation, leadership, expertise, and spaces and places.

  • Read more about Co-Production Treasure Hunt
Snapshot: Andy Burnham's report to the GMCA

Jam and Justice Input to GMCA Decision-Making

In June 2018, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority agreed a proposal to work with Jam and Justice and the wider Realising Just Cities programme to develop co-productive capacity.

  • Read more about Jam and Justice Input to GMCA Decision-Making
Sketching co-production: snapshot of responses to the drawing exercise

Shaping the Coalition

Despite cold wet weather, on 29th January 2019 three dozen people made their way to the Anthony Burgess Institute in Central Manchester for the first of Jam and Justice's events to build capacity to #CoproduceGM. Attendees were drawn from within and beyond Jam and Justice's networks, including academics, policy-makers public servants, charity workers, community group leaders and peer researchers. Many of those in the room were people who’d already engaged with some aspect of Jam and Justice’s action research.

  • Read more about Shaping the Coalition
Connect - inspire

Coalitions for Change 2: growing the coalition

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 - 10:00 to 17:00
Greater Manchester

This second get-together for those involved in Jam & Justice's Coalitions for Change process is a two-part experience, with the option of taking part in one or both parts.

  • Read more about Coalitions for Change 2: growing the coalition

From Greater Manchester to Barcelona and back again: lessons on co-production and digital democracy

To exemplify co-productive design principles means challenging the idea of an ‘end-user’ who receives a final report. It means rethinking what impact looks like and how it can be achieved. Our commitment is to engage decision-makers in a collaborative learning journey through informal spaces for exchange and international networking. Trans-local learning is an important element in opening up spaces for learning and dissemination often reserved for academics to urban decision-makers. Trans-localism is more than just cities learning from each other across national boundaries. It points to the need for meaningful interactions between networked individuals and groups of similarly thinking people beyond the local. What is at stake is a sense of belonging through shared perspectives and concerns that transcend local boundaries.

In this third blog for our Trans-local Learning mini-series, Action Research Collective member Alice Toomer McAlpine reflects on her experience at the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy in Barcelona in November 2018.

  • Read more about From Greater Manchester to Barcelona and back again: lessons on co-production and digital democracy
Quotation from the Fawcett Society: women must be partners when policy is designed

GM Decides 2

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 09:30 to 11:30

GM Decides' Partnership Group meets to plan for an upcoming design sprint.

  • Read an account of their first session.
  • Learn about the background to GM Decides, and how to contact the organisers.
  • Read more about GM Decides 2
Quotation from the Fawcett Society: women must be partners when policy is designed

GM Decides: making digital democratic innovation work for Greater Manchester’s women

After months of preparation (including a field trip to Barcelona to meet some of those behind the city’s democratic portal), the GM Decides project kicked off last month with the first meeting of its Partnership Group. The Group was formed and brought together by ARC leads Alice Toomer-McAlpine and Katie Finney. The first session introduced the overarching aim, drew on examples from existing work on digital democratic innovation, and identified how the project should proceed. What follows is extracted from a video shared with participants.

  • Read more about GM Decides: making digital democratic innovation work for Greater Manchester’s women

How to Co-produce the City: In No Easy Steps

To exemplify co-productive design principles means challenging the idea of an ‘end-user’ who receives a final report. It means rethinking what impact looks like and how it can be achieved. Our commitment is to engage decision-makers in a collaborative learning journey through informal spaces for exchange and international networking. Trans-local learning is an important element in opening up spaces for learning and dissemination often reserved for academics to urban decision-makers. Trans-localism is more than just cities learning from each other across national boundaries. It points to the need for meaningful interactions between networked individuals and groups of similarly thinking people beyond the local. What is at stake is a sense of belonging through shared perspectives and concerns that transcend local boundaries.

In this second blog for our Trans-local Learning mini-series, guests David Rogerson and Jacob Botham from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority reflect on their experience at the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy in Barcelona in November 2018.

  • Read more about How to Co-produce the City: In No Easy Steps

TransformGM: Re-thinking prosperity and economics in Greater Manchester

Coinciding with the launch of the Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review, the ESRC Jam & Justice project is releasing its report on GM’s Social & Solidarity Economy. The report argues that we need a ‘new way of seeing’ the economy, and calls for the establishment of a Chamber for the Social & Solidarity Economy and the co-production of an impetus plan for the Social & Solidarity Economy.

  • Read more about TransformGM: Re-thinking prosperity and economics in Greater Manchester
Visualising space for co-production (flipchart with post-it notes)

National Co-Production Week

Monday, July 1, 2019 - 07:00 to Friday, July 5, 2019 - 23:45
Greater Manchester

As part of National Co-Production Week, the Jam & Justice project will be curating series of events to showcase Greater Manchester's co-productive energies.

We'll be sharing findings from our action research projects, and highlighting what's going on to co-produce in the city region.

  • Read more about National Co-Production Week

People's Procurement: Report Launch

As this new report from our People's Procurement project explains, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) adopted its first Social Value Procurement policy in 2014, placing the city region at the leading edge of social value procurement.

  • Read more about People's Procurement: Report Launch

Young People and Co-Production: Exchanging Knowledge, Reflecting on Practice

What happens when practitioners and researchers who share an interest in co-producing with children and young people come together to reflect on practice, passions, and what might be done together?

  • Read more about Young People and Co-Production: Exchanging Knowledge, Reflecting on Practice

"There's no co-production panacea"

To exemplify co-productive design principles means challenging the idea of an ‘end-user’ who receives a final report. It means rethinking what impact looks like and how it can be achieved. Our commitment is to engage decision-makers in a collaborative learning journey through informal spaces for exchange and international networking. Trans-local learning is an important element in opening up spaces for learning and dissemination often reserved for academics to urban decision-makers . Trans-localism is more than just cities learning from each other across national boundaries. It points to the need for meaningful interactions between networked individuals and groups of similarly thinking people beyond the local. What is at stake is a sense of belonging through shared perspectives and concerns that transcend local boundaries.

In this blog for our Trans-local Learning mini-series, guests David Rogerson and Nick Fairclough from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority reflect on their experience at the Mistra Urban Futures Annual Conference in Cape Town.

  • Read more about "There's no co-production panacea"
Moving towards hybridity--screenshot of the new SPA article

New publication in Social Policy & Administration

How do social scientists explain 'what works'?

  • Read more about New publication in Social Policy & Administration
Care at Home - the cover of the report showing an image from the inquiry

Care at Home Inquiry - report published

What would it take to help people to have a good life at home for as long as they choose?--

  • Read more about Care at Home Inquiry - report published
Dan and Pete unveil the Everyday Politics exhibition at the People's History Museum, Manchester

#EverydayPolitics: launching a community exhibition

“There are some obvious things that people can do to participate in politics - voting, standing for election, joining a political party, or responding to consultation. But what about the less formal ways that people participate?”

  • Read more about #EverydayPolitics: launching a community exhibition
Map of Greater Manchester and the surrounding area with highlighted details relating to the Spatial Framework (2016 proposal)

Space in Common 4: Keeping it going

Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 17:00 to 19:15
Central Manchester

As consultations on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framwork re-open, the Space in Common project convenes for its fourth workshop, looking at what can be done to involve more voices in Greater Manchester's planning processes.

  • Read more about Space in Common 4: Keeping it going

Just Space in Common?

Deliberations about Greater Manchester’s Spatial Framework are entering a new phase under the guidance of Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett. Strategic urban planning might seem like a niche interest, but the use of space in and around the city region affects every citizen’s life.

  • Read more about Just Space in Common?
Photographs from the Everyday Politics exhibition

Everyday Politics @ The Beacon, Salford

Monday, January 7, 2019 - 12:00
The Beacon Community Centre, Salford

Discover “Everyday Politics” on display from Monday 7th January.

“There are some obvious things that people can do to participate in politics - voting, standing for election, joining a political party, or responding to consultation. But what about the less formal ways that people participate?”

  • Read more about Everyday Politics @ The Beacon, Salford

New Recommendations on Care at Home

What would it take for people to live a good life at home for as long as they choose?

This was the central question for The Care at Home Challenge, a citizens’ inquiry coordinated by Shared Future CIC on behalf of the Jam & Justice Action Research Collective.

  • Read more about New Recommendations on Care at Home

Building a Community for Co-Production

  • Read more about Building a Community for Co-Production

Coalitions for Change: register interest

Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 13:30 to 17:00

The first Coalitions for Change event (Shaping the Coalition) took place in January 2019.
You can still:

  • Find out what happened.
  • Sign up for updates.

Coalitions for Change: Shaping the Coalition

How can we share our knowledge and power to change our city-region for the better?

  • Read more about Coalitions for Change: register interest
During the Energy Walk (People's Republic of Energy)

Energy Walk around Greater Manchester

Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 16:45

In 2018, the People's Republic of Energy project ran a series of creative activities including a walk through the past and future of Greater Manchester's energy supply.

Walks will run again in 2019, in February and March, with support from project partners Carbon Coop.

Further information including all walk dates and how to book a place will be available from January.

  • Read more about Energy Walk around Greater Manchester
GMSVN logo

Procurement Away Day

Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 09:00 to 17:00

This event is co-ordinated through the People's Procurement project. Participants will explore and plan ways to implement the proposals that emerged from an earlier joint workshop with support from GM Social Value Network.

To learn about this action research and to find out who to contact for more information, visit the People's Procurement page.

  • Read more about Procurement Away Day
View of Cape Town

Mistra Urban Futures Conference 2018, Cape Town

‘Comparative Co-production’ was the theme of the 2018 Mistra Urban Futures conference in Cape Town earlier this month, which was attended by members of the Urban Institute’s Realising Just Cities team.

  • Read more about Mistra Urban Futures Conference 2018, Cape Town

The Inquiry into Care at Home: Sharing the Recommendations

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 - 16:00 to 19:00
Mechanics Institute, M1 6DD

Shared Futures CIC and the team behind Jam and Justice's Care at Home Inquiry launch the report.

Caring professionals, politicians, commissioners and campaigners are all invited to come to the launch and hear how the inverted citizens inquiry responded to the question:

“What would it take to help people to have a good life at home for as long as they choose?"

  • Read more about The Inquiry into Care at Home: Sharing the Recommendations
Realising Just Cities conference logo, superimposed on an image of Cape Town, South Africa

International learning with Realising Just Cities

The Realising Just Cities programme is supporting peer learning visits to Cape Town and Barcelona for public sector strategists and community practitioners from Greater Manchester, to expand their knowledge of co-productive practices and participatory democracy in other urban settings.

  • Read more about International learning with Realising Just Cities

A growing movement? End Hunger UK conference 2018

Author: Charlie Spring, 25th October 2018

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Mistra Urban Futures in Cape Town and IOPD in Barcelona

Co-producing insights in Cape Town and Barcelona: Jam and Justice on tour

Academic and practitioner researchers are travelling to Cape Town and Barcelona in November to share collective insights from the Jam and Justice project, as part of a delegation from the Realising Just Cities programme. They will be joined by strategy and policy leads from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), who seek to learn more about co-production for urban governance and participatory decision-making.

  • Read more about Co-producing insights in Cape Town and Barcelona: Jam and Justice on tour

"The most common way we give up our power is thinking we don't have any."

Beth Perry reflects back on Jam and Justice's Double Down Devolution debate, part of Manchester Histories Festival 2018.

  • Read more about "The most common way we give up our power is thinking we don't have any."
Snapshot from the digital map locating examples of social and solidarity-related economic activity in and around Greater Manchester.

Mapping solidarity in Greater Manchester

The following feature article about the Jam and Justice Action Research Collective's work mapping the social solidarity economy in Greater Manchester was originally published in The Meteor (themeteor.org) on 25 August 2018:

  • Read more about Mapping solidarity in Greater Manchester

Community-led housing: a new era of cross-party support?

by Richard Goulding and Sophie King

We are undoubtedly witnessing “a moment” in the history-making of community-led housing in the UK. Where has it sprung from? Where is it going? What are the motivations behind new forms of political support on left and right, from the centre, and at the local level? What would meaningful political support actually look like in practice and how can it be secured?

  • Read more about Community-led housing: a new era of cross-party support?

Energy Futures for Greater Manchester - By Laura Williams

‘Big Six' energy company price hikes, increasing numbers of people forced into energy poverty, market incumbents resisting change and the collapse of Carillion have all demonstrated the illusion of private sector efficiency and market primacy in the energy system – in fact the system is broken, unable to reform and in need a serious re-think!

  • Read more about Energy Futures for Greater Manchester - By Laura Williams

Developing a Food Network for the North?

Author: Charlie Spring, 8th August 2018

  • Read more about Developing a Food Network for the North?

Collaborating for fairer food futures: Sustainable Food Cities conference 2018

Author: Charlie Spring, 19th July 2018

  • Read more about Collaborating for fairer food futures: Sustainable Food Cities conference 2018

Why are there no Community Land Trusts in Greater Manchester?

Community land trusts (CLTs) have been celebrated as a potential model for neighbourhood revival in areas of disinvestment and neglect. In the face of concerns about communities in many cities being displaced by rising land values, advocates hope that CLTs can also provide a way of enabling existing residents to remain in their homes and neighbourhoods.

  • Read more about Why are there no Community Land Trusts in Greater Manchester?

Five reasons why we need more cohousing

By Carl Makin (@carlmakin) a member of the Housing Futures Steering Group

“When people feel supported by strong relationships, change happens. And when we make collaboration and connection feel simple and easy, people want to join in. Yet our welfare state does not try to connect us one to another.” [1]

  • Read more about Five reasons why we need more cohousing

Greater Manchester - Scotland Peer Learning Exchange

The Action Research Collective, part of the Jam and Justice project, has just returned from a peer exchange in Glasgow hosted by our Scottish partner, Dr. Oliver Escobar, University of Edinburgh, What Works Scotland Co-Director. The aim of the visit was two-fold:

  • Read more about Greater Manchester - Scotland Peer Learning Exchange

Jam and Justice Discuss Devolution at Manchester Histories Festival

Monday, June 11, 2018 - 12:00 to 13:30
Manchester Central Library

Devolution promised to open up new opportunities for community engagement and empowerment, shifting power from Whitehall to the Townhall. One year on since the election of Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Jam and Justice's Action Research Collective are hosting a debate in Manchester Central Library to discuss the changing horizons of collective decision-making in Greater Manchester.

  • Read more about Jam and Justice Discuss Devolution at Manchester Histories Festival

Our Projects

All our projects seek to contribute to realising just cities through developing more participatory processes, valuing citizens knowledges and supporting fairer outcomes for different groups.

Culture Heritage and Citizenship

How can we value everyday understandings of place, culture and heritage? These projects support citizens’ own understandings of the value of formal and informal cultural practices, memories and meanings of place.

Democracy and Engagement

How can decision-making processes be redesigned to include more voices and place citizens at the heart of policy-making? These projects directly seek to support more inclusive and co-productive governance within city-regions.

International Collaborations

This cluster of projects highlights those that specifically involve international partners across the Mistra Urban Futures network and beyond.

Local Management and Organisations

What are the changing roles and relationships between different organisations involved in the governance of city-regions? These projects have a specific focus on the roles of institutions as change agents in realising just cities, including local government, universities, partnership bodies, trade unions and third section organisations.

Neighbourhoods and Communities

How can we empower neighbourhoods and communities to develop their own capacities for social and economic change? These projects all have a strong focus on spatial and social justice through working at the neighbourhood scale.

Planning and Environment

How can citizens be involved in complex topics such as climate change, environment and planning? These projects seek to understand and map how different kinds of expertise can inform spatial planning and environmental strategy development and implementation.

Economy and Entrepreneurship

How can we support alternative economic practices and social entrepreneurship? These projects have a specific focus on spending decisions and new forms of economic organising.

Digital Tools and Techniques

To what extent can digital technologies support citizen participation, or do they create new forms of exclusion? These projects include a consideration of the role and value of digital platforms, tools and techniques in enhancing democratic engagement.

Methods and Practices

What methods and practices are needed to support transformative urban research? These projects have a specific focus on innovative methodologies, methods and mindsets, to test and learn about what works to support coproductive research and governance.

Greater Manchester

These projects are all being undertaken in Greater Manchester, North West of England.

Sheffield

These projects are all being undertaken in the Sheffield city-region, in the Yorkshire and Humber region of England.

You can search our work by clicking on the themes below:

Culture Heritage and Citizenship
Democracy and Engagement
International Collaborations
Local Management and Organisations
Neighbourhoods and Communities
Planning and Environment
Economy and Entrepreneurship
Digital Tools and Techniques
Methods and Practices
Greater Manchester
Sheffield
Reset Filters

Young People Missing from Decisions

Democracy and Engagement
Methods and Practices
Greater Manchester
  • Read more

Testing the 21st Century Councillor Framework

Democracy and Engagement
Local Management and Organisations
Greater Manchester
  • Read more

People's Republic of Energy

Planning and Environment
Democracy and Engagement
Greater Manchester
  • Read more

Transform GM

Democracy and Engagement
Neighbourhoods and Communities
Economy and Entrepreneurship
Digital Tools and Techniques
Greater Manchester
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People’s Procurement

Economy and Entrepreneurship
Greater Manchester
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Space in Common

Planning and Environment
Democracy and Engagement
Neighbourhoods and Communities
Greater Manchester
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Inverted Citizens’ Inquiry: Care at Home

Democracy and Engagement
Local Management and Organisations
Methods and Practices
Greater Manchester
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Co-producing the Green Summit

Planning and Environment
Democracy and Engagement
Greater Manchester
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GM Decides

Digital Tools and Techniques
Democracy and Engagement
Greater Manchester
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