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The Centre's research addresses the complex relationship between place and people, encompassing not only physical locations but also the cultural, historical, and emotional connections individuals and communities have with their environments. 

The Centre investigates how place affects various aspects of life, from health outcomes and educational inequalities to arts and culture as catalysts for placemaking, and from social cohesion and community resilience. 

It draws together methods by engaging in both innovative quantitative (including longitudinal big data and geospatial methods) and qualitative methodologies (co-design and creative methods).

The Centre aims to be at the forefront of global conversations on place-based research, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN-Habitat and priorities of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation. 

The Centre generates impactful evidence for policy development, particularly on issues such as inclusive, sustainable, and resilient communities, as well as in areas like health, climate change, and social justice. It also addresses the challenges of evaluating interventions, focusing on providing evidence-based insights into the effectiveness of funding schemes and public value.

Partnerships play a critical role in the Centre, with it building relationships across a range of scales – from global to local. Globally, the Centre engages with partnerships with international organisations such as UN-Habitat and European Institutes around evidence-based research on place. In the UK, we work with national networks such as the and further develop partnerships with national organisations, including Creative UK, the National Trust, the NHS, and ҹèÊÓƵ Sound National Marine Park.

Working with the place where the University is located is also important, and in ҹèÊÓƵ we work in partnerships with national scalability, such as those with ҹèÊÓƵ City Council, Real Ideas Organisation, and The Box, and on projects including the Arts Council (Sea For Yourself).

Emphasising co-creation and collaboration as a method of place-making, the Centre works closely with place-based communities to deliver sustained, evidence-led impact. We are committed to delivering a co-created research programme that directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. 

Our co-design approach empowers communities, embedding researchers within them (similar to a KTP model), fostering genuine participation and building capacity for change.