Cities, Politics and Economies (CPEG)

Cities, Politics and Economies (CPEG) brings together scholars working at the interface of urban, political, economic, and social and cultural geography.

Protests.

Drawing on Manchester Geography’s international reputation for agenda-setting research, the group provides a forum to explore, analyse and address contemporary political, economic and urban challenges.

The group also forms a core part of the Manchester Urban Institute (MUI).

From analysing the construction and performance of diverse identities, territories and economies, to the nature and mobility of policy and politics, the effects of austerity, injustice and inequality, and the imagination of alternative, sustainable, and socially just futures, the group develops original understandings of how cities, economies, and political practices are assembled, mobilised, mediated, contested and governed.

A photograph of the underside of concrete bridges.

The group is focused on organizing and participation in international workshops, departmental seminars and the development of research collaborations through peer review of each other's work, writing retreats, research presentations and discussions of research challenges.

The group also aims to promote postgraduate research across the University and to strengthen our community of scholars, for instance through an annual postgraduate forum.

The research synergies developed by CPEG form a key part of the MUI, drawing together expertise in critical urbanism and urban research from across the University.

Photograph of an industrial port depicting transatlantic travels.

The research developed through the research group also complements the University’s wider expertise in global production networks, consumption, political theory, and everyday life. Members of the group collaborate extensively with national and international colleagues, and our work has been supported by, among others:

  • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
  • British Academy;
  • Department for International Development (DFID);
  • Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC);
  • European Commission;
  • European Research Council;
  • Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF);
  • Joseph Rowntree Foundation;
  • Leverhulme Trust;
  • National Research Foundation of Korea;
  • Urban Studies Foundation.

Our research

Themes

  • Everyday life geographies of austerity, creativity, and sustainability
  • Geographies and political economies of public health
  • Geographies of migration and mobility, including mobilities of policy, people, and finance
  • Geographies of social justice, equality, and rights
  • Interactions between identity, space and culture
  • Political economy at varying spatial scales, including labour relations, Global Production Networks, and resource geographies
  • The changing nature of urban life, urban politics, and urban policy
  • The development of innovative qualitative methodologies (life histories, walking interviews, and family ethnographies)
  • The politics of sovereignty, devolution, and urban and regional governance

Our people

PhD students

  • Poppy Budworth
  • Manon Burbidge
  • Olga Chumicheva
  • Sebastian Gonzalez
  • Lauren Greehy
  • Samir Harb
  • Denise Heller
  • Ben Knight
  • Ana Lambert
  • Arielle Lawson
  • Jinsoo Lee
  • Tianshu Liu
  • Dongyang Mi
  • Graeme Moore
  • Yulia Kulynych
  • Sotiria Kyriakidou
  • Sawyer Phinney
  • Harry Quealy
  • Madeline Routon
  • Alistair Sheldrick
  • Thomas Van Laake
  • Fredrik Weisser
  • Yihan Yan
  • Xiaowen Zhan
  • Yuqi Zhao
  • Yong Zhang

Related centres, institutes and groups