On Wednesday 6 December, join the School of Environment, Education and Development at The University of Manchester for inaugural lectures from Ian Mell, Professor in Environmental & Landscape Planning (Department of Planning, Property and Environmental Management) and Ralitza Dimova, Professor in Development Economics (Global Development Institute) from 4.30pm - 6.30pm.
Our inaugural lectures provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and career progression of recently appointed professors as they share insights into their research and highlight the latest developments in their discipline.
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Ian Mell, Professor in Environmental & Landscape Planning
TREES AND GRASS AND STUFF... RESEARCHING THE MEANING OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN POLICY AND PRACTICE
In this lecture I will explore the development and use of “green Infrastructure” within landscape and urban planning and consider how policy has integrated nature into planning practice.
For over twenty years academics and practitioners have debated what Green Infrastructure is within planning. Its diverse meanings have led to a diversity of knowledge of what Green Infrastructure does and who benefits from investments in nature. Moreover, significant geographical, temporal, and disciplinary differences are visible in the ways in which Green Infrastructure is used to address economic, socio-cultural, and climatic problems. By focusing on this diversity, we can trace the development of the Green Infrastructure within academic and practitioner debates has identify how it has evolved into essential infrastructure.
My talk will focus on the alternative ways in which Green Infrastructure is presented in different geographical regions and by a diverse range of stakeholders to illustrate its utility to urban planning. Touching on issues of financing, policy formation and application, and geographical variation the talk will trace the temporal changes in what is considered “Green Infrastructure” and discuss the impacts this has had on the liveability of our cites.
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Ralitza Dimova, Professor in Development Economics
SOCIAL NORMS AND THE HOUSEHOLD AT THE CENTRE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPHEAVALS
In this lecture I shall lead the audience through my multi-year research on social norms and intra-household dynamics in less developed economies, particularly those in Sub- Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. Social norms and the household at the centre of socio-economic upheavals
I see intra-household dynamics as both a key driver of socio-economic upheavals and as a key recipient, which is shaped and transformed by these upheavals. What makes the process particularly interesting is the intricate web of social norms within which the process is positioned. I shall give examples of some of my (often counterintuitive) findings in two areas of research on intra-household relations, namely (i) adaptation to weather shocks and ensuring household food security, and (ii) female empowerment and its link to investment in children. I shall also talk in favour of some interesting insights lab-in-the-field experiments can bring to traditional empirical research in this area.
Following the lectures, guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to our speakers before being invited to join us for drinks and networking from 6.00 - 6.30pm.