Repository
A curated and searchable collection of community-related research reports, case studies and publications from the Institute for Community Studies and other organisations.
Civic universities and climate education
Published: 2025
A review of literature and evidence, alongside case study examples, to understand the state of climate education in England.
Civic universities and green spaces
Published: 2025
A review of evidence on the relationship between green space, health and wellbeing in the context of universities.
Civic universities, skills gaps, and university-FE collaborations
Published: 2025
A review recognising the potential for greater collaboration between universities and colleges and identifying a lack of evidence on this topic.
Civic universities and their neighbours
Published: 2025
This review brings together literature and evidence to explore sites and practices of meaningful engagement between university students and local communities.
Understanding Communities: Final insight report
Published: 2025
The Understanding Communities research programme was a collaboration between the British Academy and the Nuffield Foundation, exploring how local communities function and can improve people’s lives.
Civic universities and green spaces: mapping report
Published: 2025
This research maps university green space in relation to underlying mental health and wellbeing data, and explores the potential to scale the methodological approach.
Meaningful engagement between students and local communities
Published: 2025
What do sites and practices of meaningful student community engagement look like, from student and community perspectives?
Finding and using data to understand university impact
Published: 2025
This synthesis of articles shares our user-centred approach to co-designing dashboards with universities to support their civic activities.
Civic approaches to climate education
Published: 2025
This report focuses on what a civic climate higher education might look like, and what resources and approaches are needed.
Community ownership: A better form of business 2024
Published: 2024
‘A Better Form of Business’ is a series of research reports on community-owned businesses that have been completed annually by the Plunkett Foundation since 2011. The reports offer evidence on the needs and health of the community business sector, trends in growth and services, and the important social, economic and environmental impact tha…
Healthy universities, people and places
Published: 2024
A review exploring how universities can contribute to student, staff, and local community wellbeing.
Shaping sustainable universities
Published: 2024
This report explores how universities can contribute to a just transition to net zero by reducing carbon emissions, sharing knowledge, and supporting local initiatives.