The idea of the neighbourhood or the community has powerful popular resonance and is prominent in current policy debates and political rhetoric. Through its synthesis and evaluation of relevant research material in this area, the Centre for Neighbourhood Research will provide a robust account of the contribution of the social science to our understanding of the role of the neighbourhood in contemporary social life. It will provide a resource for researchers and policy makers working in this field through an assessment of existing evidence and through original research. Further information is available from the Centre's website http://www.neighbourhoodcentre.org.uk