The Urban Institute New UK Partner and Lead Host

In September 2016 the Urban Institute, in partnership with the Sheffield Methods Institute, became the lead host for the UK’s participation in the international Mistra Urban Futures  centre. Mistra Urban Futures is committed to sustainable urbanisation through co-producing knowledge in local interaction platforms in the Global South and North. The Sheffield-Manchester Local Interaction Platform (SMLIP) is directed by newly appointed Professorial Fellow, Beth Perry.

The first annual Mistra Urban Futures conference, ‘Realising Just Cities’ was held at Chalmers University, Gothenburg from 19-21 September 2016. This included over 200 participants and 20 speakers and facilitators from all of the Centre’s five platforms in Gothenburg, Kisumu, Sheffield-Manchester, Skåne and Cape Town. The conference was based on lessons learned  in the first phase of  which can be accessed here in a free book, ‘ Co-production in Action: Towards Realising Just Cities.’

The delegation from Sheffield and Manchester involved partners from Greater Manchester who had been involved in the first phase of the research, including Mark Atherton (Director of Environment for Greater Manchester), Alex Whinnom (Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation) and Mark Burton (Steady State Manchester). Selected excerpts can be viewed on the Mistra Urban Futures You Tube Channel.

Further information: please contact professor Beth Perry, SMLIP Director, or Dr Vicky Simpson.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain licence by w:User:Wedesoft