Mapping ambient vulnerabilities: Air-energy-climate interrelations in the urban environment and implications for cross-sectoral governance
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Geography and Planning
Abstract
From its temperature and humidity, to its toxicty, our immediate ambient environment is essential to health, comfort, and wellbeing, determining the fulfilment of a person's most fundamental needs. The ambient environment is therefore also integral to several of the most pressing urban challenges and social justice questions facing cities globally, including poor air quality (both indoor and outdoor), energy poverty, and urban or climate-related heat, as reflected in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, whilst in the physical sciences sophisticated models are used to understand and predict the ambient environment for global systems (for example, the International Panel on Climate Change), there is no overarching framework which considers the differential implications for specific populations or places in cities. Instead complex and interconnected vulnerabilities are often dealt with in separate sectors and disciplines, limiting the ability of policymakers and practitioners to deal with the issues effectively.
In response, this fellowship develop the new concept of ambient vulnerabilities, to provide timely evidence of how air, climate and energy vulnerabilities accumulate in cities, and the uneven impact that this has on different people and places. Cutting-edge Geographic Data Science approaches, that bring geography into conversation with data science (and vice versa), will be underpinned by extensive stakeholder collaboration. Ambient vulnerabilities will be defined, analysed, and mapped for the first time - whether in the home, neighbourhood, or during a journey through the city. Innovatively, analysis will focus on two scales: (i) analyses comparing ambient vulnerability in neighbourhoods across cities in England and (ii) detailed analyses of the urban laboratory of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. In doing so, the fellowship will generate new understanding of poor-quality urban environments and what it means to live within them. It will bring together disparate fields to tackle pressing urban problems, helping to shape a cross-sectoral policy approach to tackling ambient urban challenges effectively. The fellowship's framing and findings are also highly applicable to other contexts experiencing similar global challenges.
To succeed, a multi-disciplinary team will be assembled. As project collaborator, the leading charity National Energy Action (Energy policy, health) will support and advise on policy-focused fellowship activities. Four partner organisations that will provide subject-specific expertise and novel datasets at the national and local scale: the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place (Urban policy, climate change); Met Office (Climate, air quality); Liverpool City Council Housing Department (Local: Housing, health); and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (Local: Indoor air quality, vulnerable populations). Subsequently, the fellowship will open new avenues for tackling ambient vulnerabilities.
In response, this fellowship develop the new concept of ambient vulnerabilities, to provide timely evidence of how air, climate and energy vulnerabilities accumulate in cities, and the uneven impact that this has on different people and places. Cutting-edge Geographic Data Science approaches, that bring geography into conversation with data science (and vice versa), will be underpinned by extensive stakeholder collaboration. Ambient vulnerabilities will be defined, analysed, and mapped for the first time - whether in the home, neighbourhood, or during a journey through the city. Innovatively, analysis will focus on two scales: (i) analyses comparing ambient vulnerability in neighbourhoods across cities in England and (ii) detailed analyses of the urban laboratory of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. In doing so, the fellowship will generate new understanding of poor-quality urban environments and what it means to live within them. It will bring together disparate fields to tackle pressing urban problems, helping to shape a cross-sectoral policy approach to tackling ambient urban challenges effectively. The fellowship's framing and findings are also highly applicable to other contexts experiencing similar global challenges.
To succeed, a multi-disciplinary team will be assembled. As project collaborator, the leading charity National Energy Action (Energy policy, health) will support and advise on policy-focused fellowship activities. Four partner organisations that will provide subject-specific expertise and novel datasets at the national and local scale: the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place (Urban policy, climate change); Met Office (Climate, air quality); Liverpool City Council Housing Department (Local: Housing, health); and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (Local: Indoor air quality, vulnerable populations). Subsequently, the fellowship will open new avenues for tackling ambient vulnerabilities.
Organisations
- University of Liverpool (Lead Research Organisation)
- GISRUK (Collaboration)
- Royal Geographical Society (Collaboration)
- NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION (Collaboration)
- Liverpool City Council (Collaboration)
- LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL (Project Partner)
- Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (Project Partner)
- Met Office (Project Partner)
- University of Bristol (Fellow)
Publications
Chen C
(2022)
Extreme events, energy security and equality through micro- and macro-levels: Concepts, challenges and methods
in Energy Research & Social Science
Hesselman M
(2022)
Moving forward on the right to energy in the EU
Sareen S
(2022)
Editorial: Urban Energy Poverty and Positive Energy Districts
in Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
Description | Central to the fellowship is a commitment to meaningful engagement with charitable, government and regulatory organisations. As an invited member of the Bristol No Cold Homes Steering group, co-ordinating fuel poverty activities across the city, Robinson engages with stakeholders to shape policy. Our energy poverty research has underpinned policy recommendations at multiple scales, including Bristol's Fuel Poverty Action Plan 2023, NEA's UK Fuel Poverty Monitor 2021-22, and recommendations about indicators to the European Commission. Through energy poverty networks (e.g. Fuel Poverty Evidence UK and Fuel Poverty Research Network), the team have contributed to policy-focused materials including a Right to Energy Toolkit for European decision-makers. We have a strong relationship with the charity National Energy Action (NEA), co-developing fellowship ideas from exploring experiences of disadvantaged households in the energy crisis to a new small area indicator of vulnerability to poor indoor air quality. In November, Robinson attended COP as a Bristol delegate where I plan to further develop relationships with organisations beyond my energy focus. We have also built relationships with new partners. For example, spatial data products based on our ongoing research are informing a campaign on poor quality housing by Shelter, and underpinning engagement between the New Economics Foundation and local communities about future energy transitions. As a team we are committed to furthering our knowledge of how to engage effectively external organisations, including recently completing the Prepare for Impact course. |
First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
Sector | Energy,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
Description | Partnership with GISRUK (Geographical Information Science Research UK) |
Organisation | GISRUK |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | - Caitlin Robinson is a member of the national steering committee of GISRUK - Contributes to decisions about how the national committee carries out activities to further GIS research in the UK - Caitlin Robinson was co-chair of GISRK conference (April 2023) (see alternative entry in Research Fish) |
Collaborator Contribution | NA |
Impact | - Hosting of major national GIS conference at University of Liverpool in 2022, co-chaired by Caitlin Robinson. Conference engaged academics and industry from across a variety of disciplines (e.g. geography, civil engineer, computer science, data science, urban planning) and industries (GIS, data science). |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Partnership with Liverpool City Council Housing |
Organisation | Liverpool City Council |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | - Caitlin Robinson advised Liverpool City Council Private Rental Housing team when making their renewed bid for a Selective Licensing Scheme. Provided advice about evidence to underpin the renewal - in particular spatial datasets. |
Collaborator Contribution | - Discussions with Liverpool City Council Private Rental Housing team about project design |
Impact | Not applicable as project still in early stages |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Partnership with National Energy Action |
Organisation | National Energy Action |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | - Costed collaborator as part of UKRI FLF project - Facilitated introductions to other researchers of relevance to NEA networks - Established NEA policy researchers as visiting researchers at university institution - Contributed analysis to NEA-led evaluation of Warm Homes Fund, a £150m fund designed to support local authorities, registered social landlords and other organisations working in partnership with them, to address some of the issues affecting fuel poor households |
Collaborator Contribution | - Advice about how the research design can be tailored to have maximum benefit for policy and practice - Drafted Call for Evidence to be distributed to NEA networks |
Impact | Not applicable at early stages of project |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Partnership with Quantitative Methods Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society |
Organisation | Royal Geographical Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | - Caitlin Robinson is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the QMRG - Led the design and administration for scholarships for underrepresented groups to attend a national conference in the field (GISRUK) - Coordinated EDI-related activities of the group |
Collaborator Contribution | NA |
Impact | Not applicable |
Start Year | 2021 |