New network aims to build a sustainable future

Anglia Ruskin University is looking for 15 early-career researchers to join an international network focusing on practices related to sustainable built environments.

The ‘Practices, the Built Environment and Sustainability’ early-career researcher network is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin’s Global Sustainability Institute and Aalborg University’s Centre for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transitions.

The network will research and discuss the practices of householders as well as professionals, such as architects, planners, policy makers, landlords and office workers.

It is interested in how such practices have evolved, how they are organised and connected, and how they are influenced by different actors and “change agents”.  The network will look at how these practices can be steered in more sustainable directions.

Dr Chris Foulds, a Research Fellow at the Global Sustainability Institute, said: “The purpose is to establish a community of researchers who are keen to move away from traditional approaches that dominate built environment studies.

“This means recognising that people do not use the built environment in ways that are always expected, or always make decisions based on rational choices.  Instead people interact with the built environment through the practices they undertake, such as cooking, showering or working.

“Therefore to understand how the built environment can become more sustainable, we need to better understand how practices are organised.”

The network will be launched through two British Sociological Association climate change study group events at Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus on 26-27 June and 15-16 September. 

Applicants are asked to send a maximum one-page outline of why they are interested in joining the network, their relevant experience in this area, and their future research plans to both Charlotte Jensen cjensen@plan.aau.dk of Aalborg University and Dr Chris Foulds chris.foulds@anglia.ac.uk by May 2.

Both the study group events and network are free of charge, and limited funds may be available to assist some attendees with travel and accommodation.

 

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For more press information please contact:

Jon Green on t: 0845 196 4717, e: jon.green@anglia.ac.uk

Jamie Forsyth on t: 0845 196 4716, e: Jamie.forsyth@anglia.ac.uk
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