A future for autonomous vehicles in the UK? Lessons from the US
One of the final bills passed by the outgoing Sunak government was the Automated Vehicles Act (2024), designed to make provisions for the possible rollout of autonomous vehicles in the future. If the...
View ArticleHow to halve violence against women and girls
In February 2024, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls urged the UK government to ‘do more to translate its political recognition of the scale of violence against...
View ArticleBelting up to deliver housing targets – are Grey Belts the answer?
To meet targets of building 1.5 million homes, the new government launched a consultation on the process for releasing Green Belt land. Proposals include creating a new designation of “Grey Belt” land....
View ArticleAdvanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene
Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to...
View ArticleAttending to absence: how can we improve outcomes for disadvantaged children?
Poverty and disadvantage have considerable effects on children and young people. For many young people multiple aspects of disadvantage affect their lives and increase the risk of negative outcomes. In...
View ArticleThe growing infrastructure crisis in English NHS hospitals
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England remains in crisis. We are now accustomed to ambulances queuing outside accident and emergency departments, bed shortages, growing waiting lists for elective...
View ArticleProtecting Premier League football clubs through tighter regulation
The Football Governance Bill sets out to establish a new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) for English men’s elite football. As these plans for a new regulator continue to unfold, research conducted...
View ArticleHow green is hydrogen?
Development of a low carbon hydrogen-based economy is seen as a major part of achieving net-zero emissions across the world. Hydrogen is a flexible and potentially non-polluting fuel because it only...
View ArticleGetting around: digital platforms and public transport systems
Over the last 15 years, digital mobility platforms for ride hailing like Uber, bike sharing like Beryl, e-scooter rental like Lime and journey planning apps like Citymapper have become common in urban...
View ArticleAddressing the UK’s heritage skills crisis: why we must act now
In 2019, the world watched as flames consumed the Notre Dame Cathedral, an irreplaceable cultural treasure. Yet, against all odds, the cathedral is poised to reopen this year, a testament to...
View ArticleIs advanced nuclear the route to low-carbon hydrogen production?
There is increasing recognition that a UK net zero future will feature a significant role for hydrogen as an energy vector. The UK currently relies heavily on natural gas for heat, industry and power...
View ArticleWater reuse for sustainable practices in new housing infrastructure
Demand for water will outstrip supply within the next 25 years in England. Changing patterns of water use – for example, as a result of increasing hygiene standards – are intersecting with...
View ArticlePlastics policies are changing the game—but are SMEs being left behind?
The UK plastics policy landscape is undergoing major changes. While consultations stress the importance of avoiding harm to SMEs, policies often lack concrete measures against such harm. Research by...
View ArticleGetting it right: are hydrogen standards good enough?
Hydrogen has the potential to be an important industrial feedstock and fuel. There are, however, various ways to produce and use it, leading to diverse supply chains with different environmental...
View ArticleTransforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport,...
Today’s children and young people encounter multifaceted challenges, including mental health concerns, reduced physical activity, and persistent inequities in access to sports. As the post-pandemic...
View ArticlePositioning green infrastructure as essential infrastructure in the UK
As the impacts of the climate and biodiversity emergencies become clearer, there is a growing need to rethink how infrastructure is developed and managed in the UK. The planned redundancy of concrete...
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Safer transport for women and girls through better data collection
It is estimated that only 17% of victims of sexual violence report the crime. This underreporting of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls (VAWG) on public transport hampers efforts to...
View ArticleDecarbonising transport: is hydrogen the answer?
The UK government has enshrined net zero into law, but if it is to meet its targets then big strides need to be made towards decarbonising land-based transport, aviation, and shipping. Unlike most...
View ArticleCervical cancer prevention: ensuring equity throughout the screening process
Cervical cancer accounts for 1 in 50 new cancer cases in women and people with a cervix in the UK. Screening is essential to identify and treat preinvasive cervical disease, but many people report...
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The digital infrastructure divide: the spatial landscape of broadband...
Changing social norms and the COVID-19 lockdowns have drastically shifted how we utilise the internet to conduct our daily lives, creating a rapid increase in home/hybrid working and online shopping....
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