Male Life Expectancy measures the average number of years a man can expect to live, based on current mortality patterns in a given area. It’s one of the clearest and most telling indicators of local inequality — a reflection not only of health systems, but of the environments, jobs, and lifestyles that shape everyday life.

As England advances into a new phase of devolution and local government reform, councils must show real-world outcomes, not just intentions. The Social Progress Index (SPI) and Place Insight offer a clear, data-driven way to measure what truly matters — from education, housing, health, and inclusion to environmental quality and economic opportunity.

In the dynamic field of public policy and community development, robust research is indispensable for making informed decisions that truly benefit our communities. Citizen Led Impact (CLI) defines research as "the process of solving problems and finding facts in an organized way." By examining the lessons from the HS2 High-Speed Rail Project and Newcastle’s Participatory Budgeting Initiative, we can understand how research-based approaches lead to successful community engage