Research projects
Details of projects undertaken within the Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE).
We undertake challenge-led research that contributes to planning theory, policy and practice across the three inter-related themes.
Find out more about current and completed projects that fall under the three research themes within SPE:
- Healthy Places
- Sustainable and Resilient Places
- Smart Cities
Healthy Places
2020-present
- Better access to urban greenspace
- Evidence review of the environmental, health and equity impacts of remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites
- Literature review on the impacts of infrastructure on quality of life
- Physical activity in different natural environments: Motivations, perceptions and wellbeing benefits
- The Art of Healing
2010-2019
- Behaviours and Neighbourhood Design (BAND): An investigation of walking as a social practice
- Community-led housing and health: A comprehensive literature review
- Development of Building with Nature: Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
- Economic evaluation of 'Fitter for Walking'
- ESRC Seminar Series "Reunited planning and health: Tackling the implementation gaps in evidence, governance and knowledge"
- Foodscapes
- Green infrastructure in the urban environment
- Green Infrastructure Innovation Fund
- GRIP2: Getting Research Into Practice
- Making the case for investment in the walking environment
- South Gloucestershire Council and healthy urban planning
- The walkability of Bristol: How this relates to physical activity, health and wellbeing
Sustainable and Resilient Places
2020-present
2010-2019
- Affect and Place meaning in contested urban sites
- Assessing the potential for social learning in building sustainable communities
- Attractiveness of European regions and cities for residents and visitors (ATTREG)
- Availability of brownfield land for housing development in England
- Behaviour change and agriculture in urban society and environments (BeCAUSE)
- Bristol civic leadership project
- Bristol civic leadership prospects project
- Cemeteries and crematoria as public spaces of belonging in Europe
- Collective governance, innovation and creativity in the face of climate change (SELFCITY)
- Community involvement in decision making: Disclosure and access to information
- Cultural activism in the community: Creative practice, activism and place-identities
- Deathscapes and diversity: Making space for death and remembrance in multicultural England and Wales
- European Topic Centre - Spatial Information Analysis (ETC-SIA)
- INSPIRE: In situ processes in resource extraction from waste repositories
- Investigating a role for the arts in supporting relations of care in Rajasthan’s Traditional Water Infrastructures
- Planning enforcement England: At the crossroads
- Public sector innovation and local leadership in the UK and the Netherlands
- Small and medium-sized towns in functional territorial context (TOWN)
- State of the art review on adapting suburbs for climate change for RETROFIT 2050
- Towards hydrocitizenship
- Use classes order and permitted development rights Wales: A review
- 'We build our own homes': Practices of power and participation in a community land trust development
Smart Cities
2020-present
2010-2019
- DECUMANUS - Geo-Spatial Adaptation of Urban Environmental Impacts (FP7 DG ENTR, European Commission, 2013-2016)
- European Topic Centre - Spatial Information Analysis (ETC-SIA) - (European Environment Agency, 2011-2014)
- SUNEX (Sustainable Urban FWE Nexus)
- urbanAPI - planning tools for integrated urban governance (FP7 DG INFSO, European Commission, 2011-2014)
- urban-NEXUS - Furthering Strategic Urban Research Coordination Action (FP7 DG Research, European Commission, 2011-2014)
Pre-2010
- BOSS4GMES - Building Operational Sustainable Services for GMES (FP6 DG Research, European Commission, 2006-2009)
- GSE Land Information Services (European Space Agency, 2006–2008)
- Global Monitoring for Urban Europe (GMES) - (European Space Agency, 2003–2005)
- HUMBOLDT - Frameworks for Data Harmonisation and Service Integration (FP6 DG Research, European Commission, 2006-2010)
- IntelCities Integrated Project (FP6 DG Research, European Commission, 2004-2006)
- MUE25 Managing Urban Europe 25 (DG Environment, European Commission, 2005-2008)
Planning Theory, Policy and Practice
2020-present
2010-2019
- Attractiveness of European regions and cities for residents and visitors (ATTREG)
- Bristol civic leadership project
- Bristol civic leadership prospects project
- Community involvement in decision making: Disclosure and access to information
- Cultural activism in the community: Creative practice, activism and place-identities
- European Topic Centre - Spatial Information Analysis (ETC-SIA)
- Investigating a role for the arts in supporting relations of care in Rajasthan’s Traditional Water Infrastructures
- Public sector innovation and local leadership in the UK and the Netherlands
- ‘We build our own homes’: Practices of power and participation in a community land trust development
Research areas
Find out more about the inter-related research areas and themes within the Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE).
Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments
An overview of our Centre's research areas, members, projects and more.