University contributes to report focused on driving development through culture, creativity and place

Professor Chris Bennewith and Professor Katharine Willis are among the authors of a publication produced by the Key Cities Innovation Network
Key Cities Innovation Network - Culture, Place and Development report launch
Academics from the University of Plymouth have contributed to a new report demonstrating how culture, creativity and place can benefit local communities and people.
Produced by the Key Cities Innovation Network, Culture, Place and Development is a collection of peer-reviewed papers reporting on innovative approaches using culture to develop successful places for the benefit of their populations.
It builds on ideas presented at the Key Cities Innovation Network Conference, held in Bradford in November 2024, and showcases projects which have local relevance and the potential to be replicated in other places.
The report was launched at the latest meeting of the Key Cities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), held in Westminster in early May.
It includes a chapter written by the Executive Dean of Arts and Humanities Professor Chris Bennewith , Professor of Smart Cities and Communities Professor Katharine Willis , and Kasper de Graaf, programme director of the Key Cities APPG and the Key Cities Innovation Network.
Titled Creative Coastal Futures, it explores how inclusive growth can unlock creative innovation in remote coastal areas.
It examines the complex challenges facing the UK’s coastal communities and outlines how the creative industries could offer a new approach to addressing them.
Specifically, it offers four possible actions that the authors believe could drive positive change: the role of place, the blue economy, innovation, and regional partnerships.
A case study, focused on the Great South West region, illustrates how such an approach could support the sustainable development of coastal communities through proper investment and leadership.
This is the latest publication by the Key Cities Innovation Network to feature researchers from the University.
In March 2025, academics from the University’s Centre for Coastal Communities inspired a report – On the Waterfront – which advocates for a renewed policy focus on coastal communities, and the development of coherent strategies tailored to their unique needs.
 

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