Centre for Urban Research on Austerity areas of expertise

As Britain’s only centre dedicated to studying urban austerity, CURA has expertise in a variety of inter-related fields, disciplines and subjects linked to urban studies. These include politics, public policy, sociology, geography, law, industrial relations and business and management.  Members have undertaken research in many parts of the world, particularly Europe, North and South America and Australia.

Key research themes include:

• Austerity urbanism and governance under austerity
• Racism and islamophobia
• Working class resistance
• Urban social movements
• Practices of austerity governance
• Participatory governance
• Spatial governance including neighbourhood and place
• New municipalism/municipal socialism
• Urban and cultural revitalisation
• Local economic development
• Extractivism, urban and peri-urban violence
• Informality
• Food deserts
• Creative and smart cities