Latest thinking

Unlocking Migrants’ Confidence

Comment

23 Feb 2015

Bobby Smith

Recent evidence suggests that there are an alarming number of migrants in the UK whose English language needs are not being met. Bobby Smith argues that drama-based approaches to teaching English as a second language has much to offer.

Positive about local government

Comment

23 Feb 2015

Steve Atkinson

In a recent RSA Journal Matthew Taylor challenged the presumption that centrally-driven policy is the answer to ongoing public service reform. Local council chief executive Steve Atkinson argues that although this analysis has much to commend it, the idea that the public sector has been sluggish in its response is not entirely valid.

Creativity and new manufacturing

Comment

09 Feb 2015

Peter Mucci FRSA

The time has come to take a new look at the business of designing and making things, argues Peter Mucci FRSA.

Can games technology revive place-making?

Comment

18 Nov 2014

How can we re-discover this lost art of city making and adapt it to 21st century and future needs? Anthony Hudson FRSA argues that the internet is demonstrating how we can begin to understand, predict and apply the complex patterns that exist in nature to the development of towns and cities.

Do politicians need a social licence?

Comment

29 Oct 2014

John Morrison

Businesses increasingly need more than a legal licence for their activities to be seen as legitimate in the eyes of society, argues John Morrison. This additional requirement is hard to define, but is composed of a number of elements including legitimacy in the eyes of society, trust and consent for the activity in question.

Is the future of cities smart?

Comment

20 Oct 2014

In the future, cities will account for 80% of wealth creation, 60% of energy consumption, and almost 90% of global population growth, according to research on city science from MIT. Russel Cooke argues that those cities that understand the value of ‘big data’ within their urbanisation strategies will be better positioned for future improvements.

Ethics in Business

Comment

23 Sep 2014

What does an ethical business look like and it is the same as one with a commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Firoz Abdul Hamid FRSA argues that we have still a long way to go to understanding the real implications of ethics for business, and at best still pick and choose what comes under the banner of CSR.

Community Venturing – Is it Business Venturing?

Comment

27 Aug 2014

In the RSA 2020 Public Services’ report Shopping for Shared Value, Jonathan Schifferes highlights change in major UK supermarkets whereby staff hours and, in some cases, rear-of-store rooms are being provided for community-based activity. John Leventhall FRSA asks whether this newfound community spirit is a sign of supermarkets’ enlightened self-interest to enhancing future profits and whether such approaches can expand to recognise the role that local business can play in the community.

Heritage Exchange 2014: Forging the next generation of heritage thinking

Comment

11 Jul 2014

A note from Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund