University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability
Leader of WP 4 and contributor to WP 5 and 6
IRES Devonshire Building
NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
tel.: +44 191 246 4900/4957
fax: +44 191 246 4999
ires@ncl.ac.uk
Contact persons:
Simin Davoudi
simin.davoudi@ncl.ac.uk
tel.: +44 191 246 48 84
fax: +44 191 222 6008
Staff involved in this project are co-located in IRES and GURU both at Newcastle University. The University in its present form was established in 1963 and is one of the largest civic universities in the country with around 15,500 students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability (IRES) is an interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research institute based at Newcastle University. IRES draws together researchers from a number of different academic schools of the university, including social scientists, geographers, spatial planners and environmental scientists, all of whom are involved in internationally recognised research and scholarship on aspects of sustainable development. IRES aims to use existing expertise to develop new, holistic solutions to some of the most pressing sustainability issues. IRES staff is actively looking to draw together the necessary resources to turn the sustainable development agenda into a reality.
IRES works closely with the Global Urban Research Unit (GURU), which is one of only 12 recognised centres of research excellence within Newcastle University. GURU combines traditional and innovative approaches to the analysis of strategic planning and spatial policy, critically focused on a better understanding of place and its potential sustainable transformation. Its work is theoretically informed but often deeply related to the experiences of citizens, policy-makers and other stakeholders. Academic staff in GURU have substantial experience in the co-ordination of national, international and European research projects and networks. Those involved in this project have undertaken major European research under the Territorial Governance and Spatial Planning Theme. The work has been informed through a wide range of research projects in the UK, Europe and beyond to: improve the evidence-base that informs territorial governance and spatial planning practices; promote theoretical ideas, concepts and methodologies for analysing such practices through a focus on institutional capacity and institutional transformation in urban and regional governance initiatives.
