Transforming Places

A UK government minister wants to know why one struggling seaside town turned itself around while a similar one did not—and this research programme will give them the answer. The problem is that UK policymakers lack clear, evidence-based guidance on how to revive local economies and communities that have fallen behind. Current regeneration efforts often rely on guesswork or copy-paste solutions that fail in different contexts. This programme fills that gap by systematically studying how other OECD countries have successfully transformed their own struggling places—whether post-industrial cities, rural areas, or coastal towns—and distilling what actually worked. If successful, the research will produce practical toolkits that local leaders can use immediately, rather than waiting years for academic papers. It will also create peer-learning networks and international exchanges that build the political will and practical capacity to act. The impact could be visible in the infrastructure, transport links, business support, and housing policies that quietly shape whether a town thrives or stagnates. This is applied, policy-facing research with a direct line to decision-makers, not fundamental science.