Worried about climate change? Concerned about rising inequalities? Annoyed about the state of political participation? Addressing these and other challenges involves thinking seriously about the future of the planet's cities. This is the focus of the city by Professor Michael Keith from the University of Oxford. He will outline how different versions of the future are generated and debated by those who have the power to shape it.

As part of the Manchester Urban Institute's programme of launch events, Professor Michael Keith, Director of the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, University of Oxford, will be giving a talk, titled 'The future’s promise? Technocratic dreams, Faustian urbanism and the cities yet to come'.

Professor Keith has previously been Professor of Sociology, Head of Department and Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Research (CUCR) at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He has also been a politician in the East End of London for twenty years and was at various times leader of the Council in Tower Hamlets, chair of the Thames Gateway London Partnership (2000-2006) and Commissioner on the National Commission on Integration and Cohesion (2006-07). His current work develops past projects on the dynamics of urbanism, the study of cultural difference and the impact of migration on structures and processes of governance.

Further MUI launch events will be announced in the coming weeks. Please see www.mui.manchester.ac.uk for further details.