Foundations
We have identified a set of ‘foundations’, or areas of focus, that encapsulate the urban living research and activity at the University.
Explore the foundations
These reflect key outcomes or objectives for urban areas towards which much of the current research is directed and which are shaping future plans.
1. Living well
Exploring quality of life for a city’s population. Including residents’ wellbeing, lifestyles and communities and the functioning of the city’s support services. Research focuses on: indoor and outdoor air quality; mental and physical wellbeing; lifestyles and communities; urban sustainability.
- Sustainable consumption changes through households; funded by IKEA Ltd - Centre for Environment and Sustainability
- Transnational practices in local settings: Experiences of citizenship among Bangladesh-origin Muslims in London and Birmingham; funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - Inequalities and diversities
- ACTivating InnoVative IoT smart living environments for AGEing well; funded by European Commission - Institute for Communication Systems
- HomeSense: digital sensors for social research; funded by Economics and Social Research Council (ESRC) - Department of Sociology.
2. Access and mobility
Understanding the transport services needed (and the technologies involved in their delivery), opportunities for innovation and the analysis/planning of transport systems. Research focuses on transport system planning; smart mobility services; electric vehicle technologies, connected and autonomous vehicles.
- ASTRID: Accessibility, Social justice and Transport emissions Impacts of transit-oriented Development strategies; funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - Centre for Infrastructure Systems Engineering
- SILVER STREAM: new vehicle concept for ageing populations in cities; funded by European Commission - Centre for Automotive Engineering
- ADVancing user acceptance of general purpose hybridised vehicles by improved cost and efficiency; funded by European Commission - Centre for Automotive Engineering
- iKaaS: intelligent Knowledge as a Service; funded by European Commission - 5G/6G Innovation Centre.
3. Safe and secure
Exploring the varied types of threats to the safety and security of a city’s residents, assets and resources (including data) and opportunities for increasing city resilience. Research focuses on city policing practices; cybercrime; city regulation and governance.
- Data assimilation and forecasting for urban crime models; funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - Nonlinear Waves and Geometric Fluid Dynamics Group
- UNOC: Understanding the Nexus of Organised Crime – Policing in marginalised communities linked with organised crime; funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - Centre for Environment and Sustainability.
4. High performance city
Examining the influences on city performance of resource and infrastructure efficiency, economic and population growth and developments in the built environment. Research focuses on resources use and supply (energy, water, wastes); the circular economy; monitoring and remote sensing; decision support and policy; innovation and smart cities.
- Trunk Mains Research; funded by Thames Water Utilities Ltd - Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences
- Vulnerability and risk assessment of transportation systems of assets (SoA) exposed to geo- and climatic hazards; funded by European Commission - Centre for Infrastructure Systems Engineering
- NexCities: Water-Energy-Nutrient Nexus in the Cities of the Future; funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering
- Designscapes: Building Capacity for Design enabled innovation in urban environments; funded by European Commission - Department of Business Transformation and Sustainable Enterprise.