Published in March 2025, On the waterfront is a research and policy report examining the challenges and opportunities facing Britain’s coastal communities and the vital contribution they could make to a more connected and prosperous country.

Commissioned by Key Cities and developed through the Key Cities Innovation Network (KCIN), the report brings together academic research, evidence from local authorities and contributions from stakeholders and parliamentarians. Produced by Images&Co in partnership with ING Media, it draws particularly on research by the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Coastal Communities.

The study explores how decades of industrial decline, underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure have contributed to persistent inequalities in health, education, employment and opportunity across coastal Britain. It also challenges the tendency to treat coastal communities primarily as seaside resorts, overlooking the economic and social importance of larger coastal towns, cities and ports.

At the same time, the report identifies significant opportunities for renewal through maritime industries, renewable energy, culture, tourism and economic diversification. Its 28 recommendations are organised around four priorities: Empower, Protect, Connect and Invest, calling for a more coordinated, long-term approach to coastal regeneration that places communities at the centre of decision-making.

Edited by Kasper de Graaf, On the waterfront makes the case for recognising Britain’s coastal communities not as peripheral places requiring support, but as strategic national assets with a central role in the country’s economic, environmental and social future.

Read the report – On the waterfront

Image: Neighbourhoods in Jaywick. Watercolour by Simon Poulter. One of six 360o VR panoramas (detail), part of ‘Days Like These’.