Dr  Iain Deas - Research

My research interests fall broadly into three areas.

Research on urban policy evaluation has included projects for the Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessors assessing the impacts of government urban policy and the Action for Cities programme (1991-94), evaluating the effectiveness of Urban Development Corporations (1994-97) and assessing the New Deal for Communities (with Sheffield Hallam University) (2001-2005).  I have also undertaken evaluation studies of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (1999-2002) and completed numerous projects for local regeneration initiatives, including an evaluation of the EU URBAN-funded Moss Side and Hulme Partnership in Manchester (1998-2001) (for Manchester City Council), and research in support of the Merseyside Housing Market Renewal pathfinder (2003).

My work on the measurement of urban socio-economic circumstances and patterns of deprivation has helped to inform this policy-focused work.  Completed studies include research for the Northern Ireland Office (1993-94), Yorkshire District Councils (1999-2000), the Greater London Authority (2000-2001), the Association of London Government (2002) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (2003-) on patterns of deprivation and issues of measurement in relation to social exclusion.  I have also undertaken research for the ESRC exploring the relationship between competitiveness and social exclusion in Liverpool and Manchester, as part of the Cities programme (1998-2001). Projects for Manchester City Council have explored the development of a South Manchester regeneration baseline (2004) and attempted to quantify the recovery process in Housing Market Renewal areas (2006-).  Ongoing research (2008-), funded as part of the Manchester Independent  Economic Review commissioned by Manchester Enterprises, is exploring the drivers of residential segregation and the implications for Manchester's economic competitiveness. 

My research on regional policy and institutional change has include research on inter-city networking and supra-regional policy, notably through work for the European Commission to explore the potential for (and spatial planning implications of) a North European Trade Axis.  It has also included research on the regional economic and social impacts of universities (1994), work for the Dearing Commission on higher education exploring the regional role of universities (1997) and research on the issues of student attraction and graduate retention in North West England (for the North West Universities Association) (2002).