Cities and Societies

Creating innovations that help people and communities thrive

About

Society often isn’t as inclusive as it could be, and far too many people lack the opportunities they deserve.

Cities are engines of creativity and innovation, and as the world urbanises, cities and places can create new models of sustainable, inclusive growth.

Building inclusive and resilient cities and societies

Innovation can do a lot to change people’s lives and the places we live in for the better. In big and small ways, innovation can help to reshape our cities and communities, creating healthier and more inclusive places. This can mean rethinking the built environment, creating more climate-resilient places, or expanding sustainable mobility options.

Innovation can also mean creating smart tools and services that address gaps in how people access services, gain education and employment opportunities, or tap into support networks.

And, when innovation is led by people with lived experience and place-based knowledge, it can forge a stronger, more connected, more resilient society in which everyone has a stake.

Talk to us about the opportunities you want to pursue to create stronger, more resilient cities and more inclusive societies.

Contact Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies

Thought leadership in Resilient Societies

Closing the health gap: a regional challenge to tackle health inequalities in West Yorkshire

Blog

Publication Launch: A Practical Guide for Challenge-Driven Innovation in Cities

Blog

Examples of scope

Sustainable Cities Challenge

A challenge prize to harness the power, creativity, and energy of innovation to improve access to safe, equitable and sustainable mobility solutions for all.

More about the Sustainable Cities Challenge

The West Yorkshire Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge

A £1 million challenge prize to accelerate innovative solutions, products, or services to overcome health inequalities among communities in West Yorkshire.

More about the Mayor’s big ideas challenge