Overview
Over the last twenty years, despite significant national economic growth and seemingly different political and social contexts, poverty has grown in both the UK and the US. Given these similarities it is surprising that there are few comparative examinations of poverty in the US and UK and none with a spatial focus. It is an appropriate time to take stock of what is commonly shared in terms of problem understanding and to consider how future policy interventions may need to be configured in response to these social and economic trends.

This conference was an extended workshop in which participants had the opportunity to engage in intensive debate and reflection. The conference was segmented into slots devoted to major thematic issues affecting both United Kingdom and United States society. These thematic sections began with short contributions from experts on the following themes: trends in UK and USA poverty; poverty and welfare; work and technology; the problems of meeting basic human needs in the areas of housing and education; policy experiences of the last 20 years; and challenges and future directions.

Presentations

Poverty Estimates for Places in the United States
Daniel Weinberg, US Census Bureau

Rural Poverty in the United States: Trends, Correlates, & Measurement Issues
Dean Jolliffe, United States Department of Agriculture

Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural Areas of the UK
Mark Shucksmith, University of Newcastle

Urban Poverty in England: Recent Trends
Ruth Lupton, Institute of Education, University of London

Narrowing the Social and Economic Deprivation Gap: From Rags to Polyester
Joe Montgomery, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit

Place, Poverty, Welfare... And Immigration/Ethnicity in the United States
Barbara Bergmann, American University

Contextualising poverty: Insights from 12 low-income areas
Caroline Paskell, London School of Economics and Political Science

Poverty, Inequality and Wealth in Britain 2001
Danny Dorling, University of Sheffield

Poverty, Place and Appropriate Policy: Facilitating Successful Transitions Into Work
Jill Findeis Pennsylvania State University

What about working class boys?
Linda McDowell, University of Oxford

New forms of unemployment: the rise and rise of sickness and disability in the UK
Steve Fothergill, The Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research

The Poverty of Caring Work in the United States
Professor Joan Fitzgerald, Northeastern University

Work: the best solution to poverty?
Julia Sweeney, Family Poverty and Work Division (FPWD), DWP

Food Poverty and Retail Access: What Recent UK-US Research Reveals
Neil Wrigley, University of Southampton

Household Food Security: What Does It Tell US about Poverty and Place?
Mark Nord, Economic Research Service

Poverty and Place: Outcomes of Housing Policy
Susan Wachter, The Wharton School

Implications of Increasing Block Grants for Programs directed at the Poor
Barbara Wolfe, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Early Years Intervention and Poverty
Edward Melhuish, National Evaluation of Sure Start

Designing, Implementing, and Testing a Place-Based Employment Initiative: The Jobs-Plus Demonstration in Public Housing
James Riccio, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC)

Employment and Neighbourhood Deprivation in England 1993:2003
Martin Evans, University of Bath