Environment, Policy, and Place

Cities and their environments change both independently and through their interactions. The ways in which we understand and respond to these changes are critical to ensuring that we deliver more sustainable and resilient places.

The Environment, Policy, and Place Research Group (EPP-RG) brings together expertise in environmental management and planning, urban design for health and wellbeing, environmental assessment and ecology, transformative conservation, and both green and blue infrastructure.

Together, we work on fundamental and applied research to influence policy formation, management interventions, strategic decisions, and investment, to rethink our societies relationship with cities and their environments, and the ways in which they can be managed. We emphasise the importance of inter- and trans- disciplinary research that is carried out across scales and geographic regions. This approach necessitates cross-sectoral collaboration to identify actions promoting sustainable practices and synergies between the governance and implementation of development across the world.

Please take a moment to review the members of the EPP-RG (below) who carry out research across the following broad themes:

• the development of strategic responses to global environmental and climate change;
• creating a better understanding of environmental risks, resilience, and uncertainty;
• establishing the parameters for healthy and more accessible places through innovative design and professional/community engagement;
• developing green infrastructure policy and financing mechanisms and employing these in planning practice;
• the opportunities to embed transformative approaches to nature conservation in policy and practice;
• evaluating the use of environmental impact assessment and sustainability assessments techniques in complex environmental scenarios;
• exploring the relationship between environmental planning mechanisms and environmental identity.

For further information, please contact Ian Thornhill (EPP-RG Lead): ian.thornhill@manchester.ac.uk

Our research

Our people

Our teaching

• Environmental Management BSc
• Planning MPlan
• Environmental Impact Assessment and Management MSc
• Global Urban Development and Planning MSc
• Urban Design and International Planning MSc
• Nature Recovery, Restoration and Rewilding MSc

Related centres, institutes and groups

• Manchester Environment Research Institute (MERI)
• Manchester Urban Institute (MUI)
• Manchester Urban Design LAB (MUD-Lab)