Public Policy Thought Leadership

The latest public policy thought and knowledge leadership from our academic experts within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

New homes alone won’t solve the housing crisis

Writing in the New Statesman, Professor Alex Lord and Dr Richard Dunning explain why the government's appetite for construction will not be enough to fix the housing crisis post-pandemic.

Why pre-COVID-19 death rates should be a warning for the government

Writing for The Conversation, Dr Frances Darlington-Pollock and Dr Mark Green explain why pre-COVID-19 death rates should be a warning for the UK government if it wants to build back better.

Rail reform: why Britain’s railways are getting a full makeover

Writing for The Conversation, Dr Chia-Lin Chen explores why Britain's railways are being reformed and whether these plans will make UK train travel better and cheaper.

Planning for the future: The houses, where will they go?

Writing in The Planner, Professor Alex Lord explains why unless we radically rethink how we assess housing need, the government’s appetite to ‘build, build, build’ won’t tackle England’s housing crisis.

How universities can level up the UK

Writing in the New Statesman, Professor Ronan McGrath and James Coe explain why higher education is key for economic development and reaching net zero.