With interdisciplinary research and expertise in a range of fields relating to inequality, social injustice and local community issues, the Centre for Urban Research on Austerity (CURA) works with organisations that act as delivery agents of national policy and funding and as conduits for policy design and intelligence gathering. Such organisations include local authorities and sub-regional delivery organisations such as the Midlands Engine, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, The Office for Civil Society and the European Parliament. Over the next few months CURA will be listing key reports that have influenced national and international policy design in these pages.