European Institute for Urban Affairs

The European Institute for Urban Affairs research group examines a wide range of urban issues

EIUA has generated over £8 million in research income and published over 100 books, articles and reports.

The European Institute for Urban Affairs (EIUA) informs national and international urban policy, acting as a valuable resource for policy-makers and communities within the UK.

The European Institute for Urban Affairs (EIUA) has worked for numerous clients including: the European Commission, OECD, EUROCITIES, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, British Government departments, the UK Parliament, Local Enterprise Partnerships, voluntary and community organisations, as well as individual cities in the UK and Europe.

Since its inception, the European Institute for Urban Affairs (EIUA) has generated over £8 million in research income and produced over 100 books, articles and consultancy reports. It has developed an outstanding reputation for dealing with politically sensitive urban issues in an honest, independent and constructive way.

Recent research projects

• ‘Second tier cities in Europe: Why invest beyond the capitals’ for ESPON
• ‘Economic City regions in Growth and Recession’ for Economic and Social Research Council
• ‘The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Cities and Households in Bristol and Liverpool’ for Economic and Social Research Council
• ‘Together for the Common Good’, research on ecumenical social action
• ‘Measuring the size and scope of the Community and Voluntary Sector in the Liverpool City Region’ for LCVS
• ‘Mapping innovation strengths in Local Enterprise Partnerships’ for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills

Award: Recession, Austerity and the 'Great Risk Shift' paper

In 2016, a paper published by researchers from EIUA and Bristol University was awarded runner-up position in the Local Government Studies Journal Annual John Stewart Prize.

The paper, titled 'Recession, Austerity and the ‘Great Risk Shift’: Local Government and Household Impacts and Responses in Bristol and Liverpool', looked at how the recent recession affected people in Bristol and Liverpool. According to this research, the current climate of austerity has shifted financial risk and responsibility from central government and big businesses to local government and households.

Cities and the UK economy

In the past decade, researchers from EIUA have undertaken five projects that examine the role cities play in the UK economy. Described as ground-breaking and game-changing, EIUA's research into cities has placed cities at the heart of the UK's economic policy.

The State of Liverpool City Region report

The State of Liverpool City Region Report, which has been jointly produced by researchers from LJMU and the University of Liverpool, seeks to make a constructive contribution to the debate about where the city region stands as devolution begins and about the major opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Mapping Local Comparative Advantages in Innovation

This report, produced for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, sets out a framework and a set of indicators to compare innovation at the Local Enterprise Partnership level. For further details and for access to the report please see here. 

UK city-regions in Growth and Recession

This project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council under their Secondary Data Analysis Initiative, explores the economic contribution that UK city-regions make to national and international economic competitiveness. Our main project report is available here.