Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE)

by Sara Melasecchi Last October 2025, I was awarded some funding as part of the UWE Bristol’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Rapid Response Fund 2025-2027. Here are some thoughts on my journey with this funding. This award represented the first time I led a research project; hence, it brought … Continue reading "Sharing research results and impact: My experience from the UWE Bristol’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Rapid Response Fund"

By Elahe Karimnia Through this workshop, we aimed to show strings of our thoughts, feelings, doings, and knowings that pass between us and places in the city. On a warm and bustling International Women’s Day 2026, my research assistant, Reem Elnady, and I joined one of the largest women‑led gatherings in the UK, hosted at … Continue reading "‘Dancing is easier than walking; Music is easier than language’"

by Amir Gohar Maadi, located in southern Cairo, has long been known as an upscale residential district distinguished by quiet streets, dense vegetation, and expansive gardens. Established in the early twentieth century, it was planned as a low-density suburb of spacious villas set within generous green plots. This design produced a distinctive aesthetic and attracted … Continue reading "From Garden Suburb to Concrete City: the example of Maadi in Southern Cairo"

by Reem Elnady In the UK, refugee integration is often framed as a set of measurable outcomes—employment, language skills, “shared values.” This turns integration into an abstract checklist of achievements that allow a newcomer to “slot in” to British society. But in my research with Muslim refugee women in Bristol, I found that integration is … Continue reading "What Muslim Refugee Women’s Everyday Geographies Reveal About “Integration” in Bristol"

by Katy Karampour How can historic communities transition to net zero without losing their heritage identity?This question guided our recent pilot project in Sea Mills, a garden suburb in Bristol, where we explored community-led approaches to sustainability in a conservation area. The project aimed to understand how residents, planners, and heritage professionals can work together … Continue reading "Co-Designing Net Zero in Historic Communities: Lessons from Sea Mills"

by Hannah Hickman Earlier in the year, an excellent colleague asked if I would present at the Bristol Planning Law and Policy Conference, which was focusing on planning for infrastructure. Without too much arm bending, I said yes – after all, I genuinely enjoy talking about infrastructure – and together we crafted the unnecessarily grand … Continue reading "Future infrastructure planners: is there an appetite for infrastructure planning in young planners?"

by Hannah E. McConnell Great expectations Like many other PhD students I am sure, I found myself struggling to stay motivated over the doldrum summer months. Campus quietens and academic activities wind down, which is an issue if, like me, you get energy from spending time with people who are enthusiastic about their research. I … Continue reading "Rediscovering motivation at the Earthwatch “Science Camp”"

by Hooman Foroughmand Araabi  The concept of place lies at the centre of urban design and planning. Traditionally, place has been defined as a specific part of space imbued with social meaning, memories and activities, often public in character and central to civic identity. Despite its centrality, however, the ways in which place is imagined, … Continue reading "Rethinking Inclusion and Empathy in Placemaking"