Chair of Downtown Manchester in Business, Michael Taylor, introduces the latest in a series of critical debates that celebrate and stimulate Manchester's intellectual heritage.

We need the integration of existing knowledge as much as new knowledge and need to reclaim the right to the city for those that work and live within it. Beth Perry introduces a report from the Greater Manchester Local Interaction Platform based on a series of collaborative, cross-sectoral activities in 2012.

Beth Perry, Mark Atherton and Mike Hodson take a look at the governance of sustainability in Greater Manchester.

What urban capacities exist to develop sustainable urban futures, formally and informally? What do different policies for sustainable urban development look like in different countries? How do different stakeholders and communities influence policy formulation? What can we learn from sharing experiences between cities in different parts of the globe?

Beth Perry of the University of Salford introduces the work being carried out, supported by Mistra Urban Futures, to create Local Interaction Platform for Greater Manchester, dedicated to a fairer, greener and denser city.