Dave O’Brien has just moved to City University, London, from Leeds Beckett University, where is working on two research areas; cultural value and urban cultural policy. His work on cultural value includes a recent secondment and report to the Department for Culture Media and Sport, along with several conference papers and forthcoming research articles. His work on urban cultural policy can be found in his PhD, from the University of Liverpool, which explored the governance of European Capital of Culture and cultural policy in Liverpool and Newcastle/Gateshead.