The return of place in Scottish social policy

The current austerity in the UK public finances is having knock-on effects for the Scottish Government. Public servants in Scotland talk of the ‘scissors of doom’ – of rising demand for public services and falling revenue expenditure. In response to these pressures the Scottish Government set up the Independent Budget Review in 2010 and Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services in 2011, both of which have reported. As a result of these reports, and a wider push towards an outcomes approach in Scottish policy, Scotland is now witnessing a return to place-based policies, or area-based initiatives focused at specific neighbourhoods. This viewpoint reports on these changes, and with reference to wider literature, comments on their suitability for tackling Scotland’s socio-economic challenges.