urban

A load of hot water: overcoming the barriers to decarbonising the heating sector

By Jingyi Li, Cathy Hollis and Alejandro Gallego Schmid Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables Posted: April 14, 2025

The heating sector accounts for nearly one third of the UK’s annual carbon emissions. Despite the pressing need to achieve net-zero by 2050, decarbonisation of the heating sector in the UK faces significant challenges. The previous UK government’s delay in curtailing oil and gas projects in the North Sea has served to divert focus away […]

Driving improvement – socially just green transport solutions

By Karen Lucas Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Urban Posted: March 24, 2025

As the UK transitions to net zero and shifts to low carbon transport, policymakers are faced with the challenge of ensuring that a push for greener transport makes travel fairer and more accessible for those on low incomes. In this article, Professor Karen Lucas explores the detrimental impact of poor public transport connectivity and makes […]

Positioning green infrastructure as essential infrastructure in the UK

By Ian Mell Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted: February 17, 2025

As the impacts of the climate and biodiversity emergencies become clearer, there is a growing need to rethink how infrastructure is developed and managed in the UK. The planned redundancy of concrete and steel as building materials makes sustainable urban development problematic. However, the EU, via their Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) research programme, and the UK […]

Addressing the UK’s heritage skills crisis: why we must act now

By Eric Lybeck Filed Under: All posts, Education, Urban Posted: January 23, 2025

In 2019, the world watched as flames consumed the Notre Dame Cathedral, an irreplaceable cultural treasure. Yet, against all odds, the cathedral is poised to reopen this year, a testament to extraordinary skill and determination. In stark contrast UK restoration projects can take decades – or fail to materialise in favour of demolition. In this […]

Getting around: digital platforms and public transport systems

By Michael Hodson, Andrew McMeekin and Andy Lockhart Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted: January 22, 2025

Over the last 15 years, digital mobility platforms for ride hailing like Uber, bike sharing like Beryl, e-scooter rental like Lime and journey planning apps like Citymapper have become common in urban societies. They are often seen as ‘disrupting’ the organisation of existing public transport systems and creating competition. In this article from our On […]

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

By Martin Schröder and Sihai Yang Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted: December 2, 2024

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

Belting up to deliver housing targets – are Grey Belts the answer?

By Ian Mell Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Urban Posted: November 27, 2024

To meet targets of building 1.5 million homes, the new government launched a consultation on the process for releasing Green Belt land. Proposals include creating a new designation of “Grey Belt” land. But given the contentious nature of Green Belts and the arguments made for and against development in these locations, the addition of this new […]

Harnessing Digital Solutions for Sustainable Housing Expansion: A GIS-Powered Approach

By Richard Kingston Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Environment Posted: October 17, 2024

The UK government has committed to an ambitious housing strategy of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years to address the chronic housing shortage exacerbated by rising demand, affordability and population growth. This plan must also rectify long-term structural challenges in the housing market whilst ensuring homes are built sustainably. Here, Professor Richard Kingston […]

A landscape of need: mapping community resilience in England

By Christine Camacho and Luke Munford Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Inclusive Growth Posted: October 11, 2024

Community resilience is a marker of how well communities can handle and recover from difficult events. It is referred to in various resilience framework policies; but how is it measured, and how can it be used to target support? Here, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford outline their work in developing a new measure – […]

Charting a path to clean air: A community-centred approach to active travel policy

By Sheena Cruickshank Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted: January 30, 2024

Greater Manchester has amongst the worst air quality in the UK. Air pollution causes many health problems, as well as worsening pre-existing health conditions. Increasingly, Greater Manchester residents are concerned about poor air quality and want actions to be taken. Yet, budgets that could support change are under more and more constraints. In this article, […]