News Archive 2008

CASE Publication
Tale of 7 Cities: A practitioner's guide to city recovery by Anne Power, Astrid Winkler, Jörg Plöger and Laura Lane

This documentary booklet based on authors' photographs and local eye-witness comments traces radical social and economic change in seven European post-industrial cities.

Their cataclysmic decline and rebuilding has put them at the heart of national and international political ferment, spurring them on to uncover new ways of doing things. They showcase how former industrial heartlands across Europe can recover. Global population pressures and continuing migration, loss of investment and global fi nancial upheaval, climate change and resource limits, pose unknown threats to the future of cities, but these cities are at the cutting edge of new solutions.

Existing infrastructure, transport connections and dense services, a tradition of invention and innovation, are leading them to pioneer exciting new ideas. Big resources are tied into these places.

In our crowded continent, existing assets are constantly redeployed to cope with new shortages. Space, energy and the natural environment are three resources that drove growth in these cities. Innovative reuse of these fi nite resources propels 'clapped out' cities back to life, while the infectious spread of new ideas drives successful experiments in urban recovery.

The seven cities share an uncertain future with the rest of the globe but Tale of 7 Cities illustrates building blocks of recovering places that may survive and indeed flourish in a more sustainable world.

Download Tale of 7 Cities , in Adobe PDF format.

You may also like to download a flyer for the publication, or read a review by Time Magazine


News Posted: 18 December 2008      [Back to the Top]

CASEreport 57
Time and Income Poverty, Tania Burchardt

Time and money are two of the main constraints on what people can achieve in their lives. The income constraint is widely recognised by policymakers and social scientists in their concern with poverty. Analysis of the time constraint is more limited and research has often concentrated on dual-earner households, who are more likely to have relatively high incomes.

Integrating analysis of time and income reveals some who are missed by traditional poverty measures (for example, those who have to work long hours to keep their families above the poverty line), and some who are classified as time poor but who could reduce their work hours without risking income poverty.

The focus of this study is individuals who are significantly limited by time and income constraints, for example, those who could escape income poverty only by incurring time poverty, or vice versa.

A better understanding of the joint operation of these constraints has implications across a wide range of policy areas, including the drive to abolish child poverty and welfare reform, as well as employment regulations and the work/life balance.

The report is available to download at http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cr/CASEreport57.pdf

Tania will also present Time Poverty and Income Poverty at the CASE Social Exclusion Seminar on Wednesday 26 November 2008, 16:30-18:00 in R505, Michio Morishima Room, 5th Floor, LSE Research Laboratory.


News Posted: 21 November 2008      [Back to the Top]

National Equality Panel
Professor John Hills appointed to head the Government's new study of inequality in the UK.

The National Equality Panel will spend a year producing an authoritative analysis of the changing gaps in British society and the complex factors which cause them.

Professor Hills, who is director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at LSE and professor of Social Policy, was asked to chair the panel of experts by Harriet Harman MP, Minister for Women and Equality.

Professor Hills said: "British society continues to be marked by great differences in the positions of different groups. However, the ways in which these are changing are complex. It will be the job of this independent panel to map these out on the basis of the most authoritative information we can compile, and to identify areas where challenges to policy remain.

"I am honoured to have been asked by Harriet Harman to take on this work, and delighted that such a distinguished group has agreed to join the panel."

The panel will be able to commission new research as well as gathering and examining data from the last 10 years. It will consider a whole range of factors which can restrict peoples' chances in life, from age, gender, disability and class to race, wealth, geography and family background.

Professor Hills said: "We know quite a bit about overall patterns of inequality but this should allow us to separate out some of the more detailed strands of inequality in Britain. For example, the fact that women tend to be paid less than men is well known but there are more complex inequalities among women themselves, according to where they live or other social circumstances."

The panel, which starts work in October, also includes CASE associate Dr Ruth Lupton, Professor Steve Machin of the Centre for the Economics of Education at LSE, and six other experts.

Ms Harman said: "Equality matters more than ever and it is necessary for individuals, a peaceful society and a strong economy. To advance equality through our public policy, we need clarity of evidence and focus on the gaps in society and how they have changed over the last ten years."

Professor Hills will submit his panel's report to Government by the end of November 2009.


News Posted: 10 September 2008      [Back to the Top]

Recent Publications:
Social Justice and Public Policy: Seeking fairness in diverse societies

Edited by Gary Craig, Tania Burchardt and David Gordon

Social justice is a contested term, incorporated into the language of widely differing political positions. Those on the left argue that it requires intervention from the state to ensure equality, at least of opportunity; those on the right believe that it can be underpinned by the economics of the market place with little or no state intervention. To date, political philosophers have made relatively few serious attempts to explain how a theory of social justice translates into public policy. This important book, drawing on international experience and a distinguished panel of political philosophers and social scientists, addresses what the meaning of social justice is, and how it translates into the everyday concerns of public and social policy, in the context of both multiculturalism and globalisation.

Contents: Introduction ~ Tania Burchardt and Gary Craig; Social justice and public policy: a view from political philosophy ~ Jonathan Wolff; Social justice and public policy: a social policy perspective ~ David Piachaud; Multiculturalism, social justice and the welfare state ~ Will Kymlicka; Structural injustice and the politics of difference ~ Iris Young; Recognition and voice: the challenge for social justice ~ Ruth Lister; Globalisation, social justice and the politics of aid ~ Chris Bertram; Social justice and the family ~ Harry Brighouse and Adam Swift; Children, policy and social justice ~ David Gordon; Social justice in the UK: one route or four? ~ Katie Schmuecker; Monitoring inequality: putting the capability approach to work ~ Tania Burchardt; The limits of compromise? Social justice,’ race’ and multiculturalism ~ Gary Craig; Understanding environmental justice: making the connection between sustainability, development and social justice ~ Maria Adebowale.

www.policypress.org.uk

PB £19.99 ISBN 978 1 86134 933 0 * HB £65.00 ISBN 978 1 86134 934 7 * 296 pages * June 2008

News Posted: 29 July 2008      [Back to the Top]

CASEreport 55
Report to Incommunities on the About Turn Project, Anne Power, Laura Lane and Nicola Serle

CASEreport55 is an independent account of the work of the Incommunities About Turn project to support households in difficulty with their tenancy.

The project has run for 3 years and has a track record in dealing with difficult tenancies. LSE Housing examined tenancy records, evidence from staff interviews and family development, in order to highlight how much progress has been made, what barriers and difficulties are faced now and how this work fits within the wider Bradford city and national context.

The aim of the report is to present an overview of the costs and benefits of this project from the perspective of new social priorities in the housing world and its difficulties with the most marginal tenants.

The report is available to download at http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cr/CASEreport55.pdf


News Posted: 20 July 2008      [Back to the Top]

LSE Housing Seminar and CASE Seminar
'Teach in' on Energy and Existing Homes: Restoring neighbourhoods and slowing climate change

'Teach in'on Energy and Existing Homes:

Restoring neighbourhoods and slowing climate change

Read the Seminar report of this event published as Paper No' CASEreport 56, July 2008 Full paper

A seminar/workshop organised by LSE Housing and CASE, sponsored by HOME group

Dates and Venues:

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Date: Friday 6th June 2008
Venue: Michio Morishima conference room (R505), 5th floor LSE Research Laboratory, Lionel Robbins Building, London School of Economics
Time: 9.00am-1.30pm (registration & breakfast 8.30-8.55am; lunch from 1.30pm)


Download the programme for this event in Adobe PDF format

View the presentations given at this event in Adobe PDF format

View photos for this event

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Date: Thursday 26th June 2008
Venue: Trafford Hall, Chester
Time: 10.30am-3.15pm (registration 09.45am; lunch from 1.15pm)


Download the programme for this event in Adobe PDF format

View the presentations given at this event in Adobe PDF format

View photos for this event

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Introduction

Homes already built account for 99 per cent of our total housing stock and we estimate that 86 per cent of the current stock will still be in use in 2050. Building new homes is carbon intensive and carries many wider environmental impacts. But the existing stock can be made more efficient at a reasonable cost to realise many environmental and social gains. Homes are responsible for 27 per cent of our total CO2 emissions through their energy use, half of public water use, and they generate 8 per cent of total UK waste. Large savings can be achieved using technologies that are readily available, cost effective and cheaper than many alternatives. In addition, construction waste contributes 33 per cent of the total UK waste stream.

This workshop will explore how to retrofit the existing stock. It will demonstrate the links between neighbourhood renewal, social cohesion and energy conservation and we are aiming for an interactive and topical event. Participants include managers of existing homes, regeneration companies, local authorities, and housing association as well as policy makers. The workshop will share experience on how to make the existing stock both more attractive and more energy efficient with big gains for the environment and communities.

The seminar will provide:

• state of the art advice on how to upgrade existing buildings and homes
• animated case studies to inspire participants and shed light on the problems
• networking opportunities with people who are trying to tackle this difficult, but vitally important issue
• top ideas on where to go next

Tackling resource efficiency in existing homes requires a comprehensive package of measures to deliver a step change. But the payback from implementing these changes will be great.




News Posted: 06 June 2008      [Back to the Top]

Book Launch
DIY Community Action: Neighbourhood Problems and Community Self-Help

Liz Richardson will launch her new publication 'DIY Community Action' - as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science - with a seminar at LSE on -

Wednesday 12th March     4.30pm to 6.00pm

- in the Michio Morishima Conference Room (R505), 5th Floor, Research Laboratory, 10 Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HD.

This event is FREE but booking is essential.

An informal drinks reception will follow this event.

To request a seat for this event, please contact
Anna Tamas Email: a.tamas@lse.ac.uk; Tel: +44(0)20-7955-6562.

About the Book
How people can be persuaded to take more control of their own lives continues to be a subject of policy and academic debate, and the contribution of active citizens to improving societal well-being is high across different policy agendas. But the promotion of community self-help raises a wide range of questions for people working in neighbourhoods, for policy makers, for politicians, and for residents themselves about how we promote engagement, what would motivate people to become active, and more fundamentally about the ongoing relevance and value of community activity.

DIY Community Action offers thought-provoking answers to these questions, based on detailed real-life evidence from over 100 community groups, each trying to combat neighbourhood problems. It presents a lively challenge to the existing thinking on contested debates, and proposes ways forward for community building.

This timely publication is an engaging resource for policy makers, practitioners, academics, students and general readers interested in exploring community engagement and active citizenship.

Liz Richardson: DIY Community Action: Neighbourhood problems and community self-help. Bristol: Policy Press.

Paperback £23.99 ISBN 9781847420848 ---- Hardback £65.00 ISBN 9781847420855

To order this book please see www.policypress.org.uk
News Posted: 12 March 2008      [Back to the Top]

Trafford Hall Community Seminar
DIY Community Action: Neighbourhood problems and community self-help

Organised in conjunction with the University of Manchester and the London School of Economics, the 'DIY Community Action' seminar will take place on

Monday 10th - Tuesday 11th March 2008

at the National Communities Resource Centre, Trafford Hall

Ince Lane, Wimbolds Trafford, Near Chester, CH2 4JP

Community engagement is hot on the policy agenda. But the promotion of community action continues to raise a huge number of questions for people working in neighbourhoods, for policy makers, for politicians, and for residents themselves: Is it patronising residents to talk of community self-help? What legitimacy do community representatives have? What stimulates people to get involved? Does it matter that only a minority are involved? What is the relevance of community given a fast changing society? How can participatory democracy and representative democracy work together? How can we promote engagement? What relevance and value does small-scale community activity have?

This exciting seminar event offers some answers to these questions, a chance to debate the issue, see what others have done, and develop new policy and practice ideas.

Download the flyer and programme for this event in Adobe PDF format.

To book a place at this event, please contact
Chris Locker Email: c.locker@traffordhall.com; Tel: +44(0)1244 301 513

About the Book
Liz Richardson: DIY Community Action: Neighbourhood problems and community self-help. Bristol: Policy Press.

Paperback £23.99 ISBN 9781847420848 ---- Hardback £65.00 ISBN 9781847420855

To order this book please see www.policypress.org.uk
News Posted: 10 March 2008      [Back to the Top]

La Tribune
Saint-Étienne reste en chantier

The Weak Market Cities Programme's work on Saint-Étienne has been reported in the French press. Below is the opening paragraph from the report:

Le maire a aussi piloté le projet urbain de La Confluence, qui, à partir de 2010, accueillera logements, bureaux et espaces de loisirs là où s'étendait avant, « derrière les voûtes » de Perrache, une sorte de noman's land sinistre. Et il peut déjà annoncer la construction prochaine de trois tours de bureaux (dont une de 200 mètres) à La Part-Dieu, porter la candidature de Lyon au titre de capitale européenne de la culture en 2013, ou encore faire valoir la réhabilitation en cours du quartier de La Duchère. Tout cela en annonçant qu'il augmentera les impôts de 5%, «mais uniquement la première année».

A pdf copy of the full article is available here
News Posted: 05 March 2008      [Back to the Top]

CASE Publications
City Reports now out: Bilbao, Bremen, Leipzig, Saint-Étienne, Sheffield and Torino

The London School of Economics' Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) with the Brookings Metropolitan Institute developed a programme to uncover the problems besetting former industrial cities, the recovery measures under way to help these cities and their impact.

Generously funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, CASE researchers identified seven cities across Europe, embarking on impressive recovery actions to reverse decline. We wanted to establish the common ground and differences between a group of comparable cities, exploring their progress and ongoing challenges. Seven cities in five countries became partners in our work: Bremen, Saint-Étienne, Leipzig, Torino, Bilbao, Sheffield and Belfast. The five countries - Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the UK - represent nearly three quarters of the EU's population.

To download and read these city reports please go to the CASEreport site
News Posted: 04 March 2008      [Back to the Top]

LSE Housing and CASE Special Event
The American Election and the State of the American Economy

Speaker: Bruce Katz, Vice President Brookings Institution and founding director of the Metropolitan Policy Program; Visiting Professor, London School of Economics

Wednesday 27th February 4.30-6pm, followed by an informal reception

Michio Morishima Conference Room (R505), 5th floor, Lionel Robbins Building, Portugal Street, LSE, WC2A 2AE

We are delighted to welcome back Bruce Katz from the Brookings Institution who will offer his insights into the American Election and the state of the American Economy. His close involvement with Democratic politics, and city and state governments across the US will make this an exciting and up-to-the-minute seminar. Bruce Katz was Chief of Staff to Henry Cisneros (Secretary of State for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) in the Clinton administration. He is a Visiting Professor in CASE at the London School of Economics and an ex-LSE student.

An informal drinks reception will follow this event.

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This event is free but booking is essential.

To request a seat for this event, please contact Anna Tamas email: a.tamas@lse.ac.uk, tel: +44(0)20-7955-6562.


News Posted: 27 February 2008      [Back to the Top]