Postgraduate research opportunities A little less consultation, a little more action please: structuring local decision making for fair and sustainable communities

Local decision makers such as Local Authorities, Development Trusts, and third sector community organisations are key to place-based climate action that also meets other sustainability objectives such as reduced inequalities, health and wellbeing and social innovation. The same can be said for building community climate resilience. And yet, over a decade of UK government cuts have left Local Authorities and other organisations with little or no long-term resource to plan and implement measures to respond to the challenges we face in delivering a just transition to net-zero.

At the same time, there is a multitude of activities and changes within cities that are related to net-zero, normally in response to discrete and poorly coordinated funding programmes. Communities are expected to repeatedly input into these projects, such as through consultation and other engagement, without adequate resourcing, training and time. The result is a growing engagement fatigue, disillusionment and polarisation amongst communities, with the process offering no guarantee of a project being delivered, nor much transparency over how community input has been acted upon

This PhD will explore alternative routes for more ‘joined up’ decision making and planning, that makes better use of community capacity and capabilities, whilst also better integrating community input on issues relating to the environment, place and infrastructure. This may include a focus on issues such as community plans, participatory and deliberative democracy, national planning frameworks, community ownership, new modes of governance etc.

The PhD will be the first to be based within the Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities (SISC). It is a newly established cross-faculty institute, which places a spotlight on the important role communities could play in unlocking a sustainable future. The institute is an inter-disciplinary hub of research excellence that examines decision-making, participation and wealth building approaches that empower and enrich communities. Its mission is to translate research insights into place-based place-based and community-led solutions for sustainability that will ensure communities are not left behind by a sustainability transition, but can in fact, thrive. Located in the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde Business School, SISC is led by Director Professor Matt Hannon from SBS, alongside Dr Jennifer Roberts from Civil & Environmental Engineering as Deputy Director.