People

The project involves specialists from across three universities: the University of Manchester, the University of West England, and the University of East London, with complementary experience. The team members have substantial experience in interdisciplinary research activities enabling the project to capitalise upon different disciplines (economics, geography, architecture, planning and the built environment, urban ecology and green infrastructure). Importantly, the academic team will work with Stolon Studio as a sub-contractor, as well as with partners and other academic and non-academic advisors.

Partner Organisations

Investigators

Professor Ada Wossink

Economics, School of Social Sciences (SoSS)

University of Manchester

Ada’s research interests lie at the intersection of environmental, behavioural and public economics. She has been actively involved in a range of externally funded multidisciplinary research assignments and has coordinated several of such projects.

Professor Sarah Lindley

Geography, School of Environment, Education & Development (SEED)

University of Manchester

Sarah’s work focuses on: understanding the spatial dimensions of human-environment interactions in urban areas; mapping and assessing hazards, vulnerabilities and risks; and quantifying the benefits from urban green and blue spaces.

Professor Jessica Lamond

Co-Director of the Centre for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABER)

University of West England, Bristol

Jessica focusses on multi-stakeholder perspectives in the delivery of change in response to environmental challenges in urban settings, researches the barriers and drivers for Green Infrastructure approaches to surface water management.

Professor Danielle Sinnett

Director of the Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments

University of West England, Bristol

Danielle’s work focusses on the planning and delivery of green infrastructure in urban environments, the reuse of brownfield and contaminated sites and practice-orientated guidance.

Dr Stuart Connop

Associate Professor of Sustainability with a research focus on Conservation Ecology

University of East London

Stuart has over a decade’s experience working on green infrastructure and nature-based solution research and consultancy. Stuart is a collaborator on the European Commission’s Nature-based Solutions Evaluation Indicators Task Force, co-authored the EU Guidebook for Nature-based Solution evaluation and is currently co-leading a Work Stream on nature-based solutions and biodiversity evaluation. He was also the academic representative on the UK Green Building Council’s Increasing Nature-based Solutions panel.

V. Professor Robert Barker

Director of Stolon Studio, FRIBA, Visiting Professor at UWE.

Architecture, landscape, and master-planning.

Stolon Studio Ltd

Stolon’s work emphasises multi-functional spatial design at all scales, particularly on urban and peri-urban regeneration sites involving green infrastructure solutions to flooding and climate change. Robert Barker FRIBA (director) is a Visiting Professor at UWE. He has led or collaborated on various multi-disciplinary research projects focussed on integrated planning, zero-carbon design, climate adaptation and flood-risk. Stolon brings extensive networks and experience at the practice-research interface. The academic team will work with Stolon Studio as a sub-contractor.

Respected across the globe as a centre for world-class research, The University of Manchester is one of the oldest centres for the study of economics in the UK. Today, the University’s Economics department is one of the leading centres in the UK and is home to 55 permanent academic staff. Environmental economics is one of its areas of specialism, which has been expanded significantly in recent years.

The School of Architecture and Environment at UWE Bristol have a reputation for world class research with impact in the built environment. Our research increasingly draws together expertise across real estate and planning to examine the planning, design and delivery of green and blue infrastructure in urban environments.

Established at the University of East London in 2001, the Sustainability Research Institute was one of the first dedicated sustainability research centres in the UK. We have since built an excellent international reputation by applying our ground-breaking research and development in real world situations. Our work focuses on a range of emerging research fields and pressing urban and rural sustainability challenges and is centred on three key themes: Green infrastructure; Resource Management; and Sustainable Society. Our transdisciplinary approach bridges these key themes to generate solutions for stakeholders to the complex challenges of the sustainability transition. As a centre of excellence for environmental research and development, we collaborate extensively with industry, government, public agencies, and charities to facilitate changes in physical infrastructure and social capital that benefit the environment, promote sustainable living, and create a carbon neutral society.

Stolon Studio is an ethical, ambitious and inventive architectural practice. We offer a powerful combination of idealism and pragmatism, working closely with our clients to understand the real human needs that sit at a project’s heart. We never lose sight of the role design has to play in addressing the bigger societal challenges we face. We create simple yet transformational projects which are functional and adaptable, support the way that people want to live and work, and make a positive and uplifting contribution to the built environment.