Research themes
Environment, Sustainability and Participation
The School has a strong and long standing interest in sustainability and community involvement. This is expressed through several strands and in the work of a number of Real Estate & Planning staff.
The theme is represented in research and publications around governance, regulation, community planning and public involvement and in the context of localism, decentralisation and devolution. Staff including Professor Gavin Parker and Dr Angelique Chettiparambil, Dr Richard Nunes, Dr Emma Street and Joe Doak have been actively researching community planning and public involvement in planning in rural and urban contexts with a concern to shape sustainable development and sustainable communities. This has resulted in the study of various substantial issues in the above areas in a number of national and international contexts and explorations of the power relations between the private sector, community groups and other local stakeholders. Emma Street's research has considered the concept of sustainable community building, a central pillar of recent UK government thinking and the role of business.
Richard Nunes' current work informs community efforts to replicate sustainability transition initiatives, and policy efforts to scale-up niche innovations into more systemic approaches to sustainable development. Joe Doak has undertaken research work for local authorities on sustainable economic development, partnership working and the implementation of strategic environmental policy. Parker's work has focused on the processes and practices of operating neighbourhood planning and public participation in planning and has been widely used by policymakers in the past few years.
Some of the work that has been developed by staff in Real Estate and Planning involves the study of planning and governance systems in the global north and the global south with work in India and in Japan. Angelique Chettiparamb has recently researched governance and local planning for infrastructure and amenities, school meal provision, solid waste management and the planning and implementation of tourism policies. She engages with a complexity theory framework and is keen to continue to develop research in this area and other staff are equally concerned with linking theory and practice.
Several staff members have been active in outreach and have direct experience of working with different agencies and communities, as well as in advisory capacities to government and other institutions. Often REP staff will work with other researchers across the University of Reading, the Henley Business School or with collaborators from other Institutions based in the UK and worldwide. More information on REP staff and their individual interests, projects and publications is available on individual staff webpages.
PhD research in this area has included: Community Strategies, Community-led planning, Minority groups in planning, Education and planning, Planning and the transition movement, Decision making in planning. The staff who are active under this theme are also open to discussion from potential funders, collaborators and from prospective research students who wish to develop a project for higher degree study. For further details see: Postgraduate Research in Real Estate & Planning.