Greater Manchester reports
Our reports bring together insights from research and policy to explore key challenges facing Greater Manchester.
Drawing on expertise from across The University of Manchester, our reports provide evidence-informed analysis to support decision making and contribute to civic policy discussions.
Covering a range of local and regional priorities, these outputs share research findings and policy recommendations for the city region.
The Embodied Everyday: Ethical approaches to including lived experience in policymaking (April 2026)
Dr Wren Radford
Sharing and engaging with people’s lived experiences can be powerful and impactful, but it can also reinforce the issues of unequal power and exclusion. To ensure that the research process and its outputs are as equitable as possible, this report outlines several steps policymakers can take to address these challenges.
International innovations in childcare: What can Manchester share and learn? (Spring 2023)
Austerity and Altered Life-Courses team
This report is based on the findings from a a CAPE funded project co-developed betweeen the Austerity and Altered Life-Courses team at The University of Manchester and Manchester City Council. The project informed the development of Manchester City Council's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2023-2027.
Toward green and just transitions in city regions: a study of three different approaches to urban sustainability policymaking (October 2022)
Usman Aziz
Academics at the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) working closely with GMCA have been exploring a number of best practice case studies that exemplify good practice in the pursuit of just and green sustainability transitions. This report outlines those case studies, along with lessons that can be learnt.
Guaranteed basic income: the case for a Greater Manchester pilot (July 2022)
Professor Anthony Rafferty and Alex Macdougall
In this report for the Work and Equalities Institute, Professor Anthony Rafferty and Alex Macdougall evaluate universal basic income and the case for a Greater Manchester pilot of guaranteed basic income as pledged by Mayor Andy Burnham.
Strengthening participation and people power in Greater Manchester (July 2022)
Professor Francesca Gains and Professor Liz Richardson
This report draws on discussions within Greater Manchester and examples of best practice elsewhere. It sets out key principles to underpin greater pluralism in policymaking, maps out the different ways in which participation can take place, and makes suggestions for strengthening participation.
Race Equality in Greater Manchester: An analysis of key issues (May 2022)
Dr Nigel de Noronha
This report provides an assessment of the impact of racism on the experiences of racialised minorities in Greater Manchester. It discusses the key areas of employment, education, health and wellbeing, and criminal justice.
Greater Manchester economy: response to crises (March 2022)
Dr Marianne Sensier
This report assesses the depth of economic scarring in Greater Manchester from the coronavirus pandemic recession and the 2008 global financial crisis. It analyses the business cycles in output and employment in the GM boroughs to see how they have recovered following each crisis.