The Prosperity Co-Lab (PROCOL) UK is an innovative initiative to develop transformational thinking and action on shared prosperity for the UK.
Our goal is to achieve a sustained shift in public debate, policymaking, investment and community action for shared prosperity.
What we do
At PROCOL UK, we bring together citizen-led research, academic research, and collaborative, multi-stakeholder partnerships with communities, government, businesses, and researchers, to develop new forms of knowledge and new ways of working that bring transformational change.
This is how we address obstacles to shared prosperity in the context of pressing challenges facing British society: climate emergency, rising social and financial inequalities, Brexit, austerity and public services, and the changing nature of work in the era of artificial intelligence.
“Across the bridge you will see a completely different world. New buildings, clean streets, and the greatest security. A resident once saw a fight start on the other side, in less than 5-minutes ExCeL security had diffused the situation.
I can empathize with my fellow residents when they say we feel like we do not exist. The Custom House community have been forgotten.”
– Terry Regan, citizen social scientist
Citizen science is at the core of our research
Our work actively involves local communities in producing research that contributes to generate and test new knowledge.
We train citizens at the UCL Citizen Science Academy to conduct place-based, community-led research that can provide the evidence needed to lead change.
Creating the infrastructure for change
We've established the London Prosperity Board (LPB), an innovative cross-sector partnership that aims to rethink what prosperity means for London.
Drawing on cutting-edge academic research, social, economic and technical innovation, and mixed methods from a range of disciplines, we work to improve evidence, reasoning and decision-making about how to build a globally prosperous future. With these insights, we challenge assumptions, reframe questions and develop new approaches that bring about real improvements in people’s lives.
Projects
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Prosperity in east London 2021- 2031 is a 10-year mixed-methods study tracing the effects of large-scale and long-term urban regeneration on local communities in east London.
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Universal Basic Services (UBS) are a collection of public services free at the point of need and use, that enable every citizen to live a larger life by ensuring access to safety, opportunity, and enhanced democratic participation.
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We're working with Camden Council and Lendlease to understand the experiences of local communities most affected by major regeneration projects in the Euston area in London, and to develop a new prosperity and wellbeing index for Euston.
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This project explores whether government agencies can use behavioural data – administrative and other data that records the activities and acts of community members – to gain additional insight into place-based community well-being.
Latest Publications
Zines
Discover the zines co-produced by our citizen scientists about their lived experiences from urban regeneration.
Bulletins
Find out more about our latest findings from the Prosperity in east London 2021-2031 study
Redefining prosperity in east London
Read this article by Dr Saffron Woodcraft and Gill Chan about our Prosperity in east London 2021-2031 study