Co-authored with New Local, Places on a Mission explores how a growing movement of councils and strategic authorities are organising around shared ambitious goals to tackle the most entrenched challenges facing local areas. The report examines mission-led ways of working as a powerful organising principle for place-based public service reform — and what it takes to make missions stick in an era of uncertainty.

Produced in partnership with Demos, this report explores how the government's new towns programme can deliver far more than housing — creating economic, social and cultural infrastructure that drives prosperity and good lives for all. It examines models of local stewardship, citizen engagement and community governance, setting out what it takes to build thriving, well-connected places from the ground up.

A Case for Cities makes the argument for giving UK cities the agency, governance and voice to contribute fully to national growth. Developed in partnership with eleven English cities, the report examines how outdated boundaries and governance models are holding back cities' ability to drive economic growth, innovation and public service delivery — and sets out what local government reorganisation must deliver to unlock their potential.

Commissioned by the District Councils' Network and published in March 2025, Growth, Reform and Trust sets out how places can make the most of local government reorganisation. The report argues that LGR must go beyond structural consolidation to deliver meaningful renewal — driving economic growth, improving public wellbeing and restoring trust in the local state. It calls for a people and place-based approach to the design of future organisations, grounded in long-term ambition rather than short-term cost saving.