Place-Based Research Programme Hub
The Place-Based Research Programme Hub brings together the latest insights, research updates, news and resources from nine Knowledge Exchange Projects across the UK, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Place is an important focus for current and future government research and development strategy. Place is also a research topic at the heart of many arts and humanities disciplines, from archaeology and architecture to history and literature. These projects are designed to improve access to arts and humanities research expertise with a view to informing and supporting the development of plans for local regeneration.
Programme Report – November 2024
The programme's second report suggests a framework to embed people-centred approaches within place-based policies, practices and research. It is a call to work together across the place sector to deliver improved socio-economic outcomes for people and place.
Early Career Place Network
The Early Career Place Network is a growing online forum for early career researchers, policymakers and practitioners who are interested in arts and humanities approaches to place-based research, practice and policy. We meet online, once a month, to connect our work and interests, exchange ideas and participate in shaping future events.
The network is a supportive and vibrant space for interdisciplinary thinking with members based across the UK and internationally, working across academia, policy and practice.
To receive updates of meetings, events and opportunities, you can join our mailing list by contacting Lucrezia Gigante.
Mapping Out What’s Next for People-centred, Place-led Work: Phase Two of Our Programme
Our work responds to the high priority of ‘place’ within the UK and global policy landscapes, and the cross-sectoral initiatives focused on placemaking and redistributing resources to places most in need. Phase One of the AHRC Place Programme (2021-2023) culminated in a report which argued for a people-centred, place-led approach that holds the lived, felt, geographic and economic dimensions of place together to ensure that policies and practices are developed in equitable partnerships with communities and professionals. Phase Two of the programme runs until 2027 and a key objective is to test how the people-centred, place-led principles set out in the report can be embedded through organisational systems and policy at different scales, sectors and governments in all four nations of the United Kingdom. Our goal is to work with partners from inside and outside academia to bridge the evidence, systems and policy gaps that influence people-centred approaches to place-based work.
In this edition of the Glasshouse People, Place, Planet: Think Pieces, Rebecca Madgin and Michael Howcroft set out some of the key challenges for place-based policy and how Phase Two of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Place Programme seeks to overcome them.
Policy Brief Series
The Place Based Research Programme has launched a series of Policy Briefs during Spring 2024 from a range of our affiliated research projects. As part of Phase 1, links to briefs and webinars are below:
Current metrics for measuring "pride in place" are underdeveloped, and the language of pride has been used inconsistently across Levelling Up policy materials. This brief uses insights from the Feeling Towns project to make recommendations for Levelling Up stakeholders about the significance of understanding pride in shaping and evaluating policy.
Roots and Futures Policy Brief
This policy brief outlines insights and recommendations from the University of Sheffield's Roots and Futures project. It engages with current opportunities and challenges to equality, diversity and inclusion in local heritage and makes recommendations for embedding multiple histories, cultures, and perspectives in city-level heritage strategies.
Cross Pollination Policy Brief
Tackling social and regional inequalities requires different sectors to work together to co-design and co-produce initiatives and solutions. This brief uses insights from the Cross-pollination Project to make recommendations for enabling integrative leadership and cross-sector design collaboration in placemaking.
Programme Report – June 2023
Launching the first major output from the AHRC Place-Based Research Programme, this report underscores the importance of a people-centred, place-led approach that holds the lived, felt, geographic, and economic dimensions together to ensure that place-based policies and practices are developed in equitable partnerships with individuals, communities, and professionals.
