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For almost 50 years UK governments have designated area-based initiatives (ABIs) to moderate social, economic and environmental problems in disadvantaged urban areas. A research team from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) has been assessing and explaining changes associated with ABIs for more than 20 years. Insights from two long-standing and inter-related research themes impacted on regeneration policy and practice in the post 2007 period: developing innovative methodologies through which to monetise benefits of ABIs; and research scoping the scale and nature of longer-term outcomes associated with ABIs, including those related to the engagement of communities. Impact has been achieved through the dissemination of findings and the provision of advice and guidance to government policy makers, committees and politicians. Beneficiaries from this research include central government regeneration policy makers, lobbying organisations and think tanks.
The European Institute for Urban Affairs' (EIUA) evidence, analyses and advocacy have shaped urban policies and decisively influenced policy makers in its city region, the UK and Europe. In recent years its major reports for government, the European Commission, Core Cities and the ESRC which demonstrate the crucial contribution of cities to the UK's national economic performance and welfare have had important policy impacts which are summarised in section 4. The Institute's work has driven the debate about the role and prospects of English cities and had a transformational effect on the way in which they are regarded and treated by government. In doing so the Institute has placed cities at the heart of economic policy making in the UK.
The Regeneration and Facilities Management (FM) research programme brought together different disciplines, focused on engaging with communities of people and organisations to transfer good practice to public sector services management. It included seven members of staff, five PhD students, five grant-funded research projects, RAE2008 funded PhD projects and other non-grant projects; employing applied or action research approaches in working closely with organisations for the development and implementation of research outputs.
The theme of community engagement and empowerment has resulted in organisational policy changes, improved social sustainability and continuing professional development; changing practice in public service management and strategy development.
This case study focuses on research into how sectors such as automotive and clothing are restructuring themselves, the consequences for communities, and the implications for industrial and regional policy responses. Impact has been achieved through: directly informing and shaping government policy and strategy; recommendations applied by government organisations and agencies; and through direct benefit to organisations and communities. Three linked areas where impact is evidenced are highlighted: industrial policy for traditional and emerging sectors; policy for funding and developing sub-regional economic development structures; and policy for dealing with economic shocks.
Property market investors (from large institutional investors to potential home buyers) need to have confidence on the level of risk and returns associated with their transactions. Without such confidence, property markets will fail to operate efficiently.
This case study reports on the development of a number of different property indices by Aberdeen-based researchers which have increased information on, and therefore the transparency of, specific markets. The commercial real estate and urban regeneration indices have been widely adopted by industry and influence investment portfolio decisions. The residential indices are used by surveyors, mortgage lenders and influence the housing choices of the general public.
Research undertaken at Reading by Crosby/Hughes/Devaney and retirees Murdoch/Baum into commercial lease law, policy, practice and pricing since 1993 has driven Government policy and supported industry change within a significantly altered leasing environment in the UK. During the REF period, research conducted at Reading has continued to influence the self-regulation of the industry, acted as a catalyst for a new retail lease and significantly influenced industry solutions concerning aspects of commercial lease pricing. Specifically the impact has been on:
- The contents of the Commercial Leases Code of Practice currently in use;
- The 2009 Government policy statement through its monitoring research into the 2007 Code;
- Industry methods for the pricing of lease incentives through authorship of evolving Information Papers and Guidance Notes within the RICS Red Book; and
- Industry wide agreement to produce new property rental value indices and equivalent yield series affecting over 21,000 commercial properties, worth over £140 billion, held within the Investment Property Databank (IPD).