This paper contributes to the burgeoning literature on the role of academic–practice relationships in contributing to sustainable urban development. We argue that co-production offers a potential pathway for academics to work with policy-makers in moving towards the realisation of more just cities. The paper starts from the position that there is an essential need for, but limit to, critique alone in contributing to the possibility of urban change. Moving towards a shared critique as a basis for future action is an important precondition for realising more just cities, adding weight to the voices arguing for alternative urban visions. These arguments are advanced through a study conducted by academic researchers and policy-makers in the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub. The paper outlines a process for working with existing urban institutions within institutional constraints to develop affirmative actions with the aim of longer term transformations. A key contribution is then the identification of eight markers for assessing progress towards the realisation of more just cities
