Call for chapter proposals: After Regeneration: lessons for urban policy from connected communities

With Dr Dave O'Brien I'm working on developing a book proposal based on the work of the AHRC Connected Communities programme over the past few years. Here's the call for chapters: 

After Regeneration: lessons for urban policy from connected communities 

Connected Communities has funded over 280 projects and is working with over 400 community groups. The projects are diverse, reflecting different communities, different places and different academic traditions. A new book seeks to capture how these projects, given all their different aspects, have contributed to debates, discourses and practices of policy. In particular, the book seeks to relate Connected Communities to urban policy. Urban policy is undergoing rapid and major changes as the era of urban regeneration, associated with New Labour in the UK, has come to an end. The context for urban policy making is now uncertain, with cuts, austerity and financial retrenchment the overriding characteristic of policy, policy and local service provision. The new urban settlement has created many risks, but also many opportunities, for urban communities to determine policy and politics.

The book seeks chapters from Connected Communities researchers that focus on urban policy questions. Suggested topics may include:

The relationship between communities and urban regeneration policies or programme

The policy impact of Connected Communities research on local, regional or national regeneration policy

How urban policy is changing and how this is reflected in research by Connected Communities projects

The impact of working with less affluent communities on academic research practices

The benefits to communities and community organisations of working with academics

Critical accounts of urban policy derived from Connected Communities research

Critical accounts of the Connected Communities projects and programme based on reflections on working with communities

Empirical and theoretical considerations of social capital, social networks and connected communities

Theories of policy making based on Connected Communities research

Deadline for abstracts, of no more than 250 words, is Friday 28^th February, with completed chapters expected November 2015. The editors are currently in negotiations with Policy Press for a book to be published in Autumn 2015. 

Feel free to discuss ideas with Dave O’Brien or Peter Matthews.