Richard
Laing
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
During my 25 year academic career, I have led many large scale research projects, developing an extensive external network of peers and contacts. The great majority of that research has concerned sustainable urbanism, in relation to behaviour and mobility (including in EU Greenspace FP5 and CARE North Interreg), and concerning wider issues sustainable urban environments (including in H2020 PORTIS and URBANOME). My research has increasingly explored issues of participatory development of urban areas, and the use of digital technologies to support and in many cases visualise possibilities and opportunities.
Throughout this research, I have demonstrated a genuine commitment to the fostering and development of a strong and supportive research culture, and I have been able to place and position this within the wider higher education landscape. An overriding aim in all of my research is to develop, foster and support a culture of collaborative research activity, and this is especially valuable when working across disciplines, cultures and skill sets.
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
Over the past two decades, I have developed an extensive knowledge and experience of key emerging issues facing our society, including the advent of smart city technology (at both EU and local levels), sustainable urbanism, digitisation of working practices, and, innovation within our industries. This is evidenced through my position on numerous bodies and panels (EU Smart City Marketplace, ACC Digital Steering Group, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre Innovation Champion and theme lead), and through my activity as a keynote speaker and conference chair.
I have previously represented the RICS on the ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), and my involvement as a project partner in numerous EU Framework, Horizon and Interreg projects has brought significant experience of working with Municipal Authorities and NGOs, as well as leading academics, from across Europe.
I feel that this experience would be extremely beneficial working within URBACT, and that coupled with my abilities as a collaborative and inclusive researcher could bring much to the challenges of research and innovation.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
English is my mother tongue.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
I have over 20 years experience of undertaking urban-focussed applied research. Those projects (grant value to my organisation over €3Million, excluding other partners) have typically involved working across disciplines, across cities, and across countries. Methods I have employed include the use of visualisation to foster debate, inclusive workshop activities, on-site studies (e.g. person focussed, photographic studies) and extensive dissemination. This is in almost all cases directed at, and undertaken or designed with a wide audience, requiring close attention to communication across the whole constituency or stakeholder group. I can offer the knowledge gained through these tangible and practical experiences to help shape and guide projects, interventions and studies.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Integrated Urban Renewal
Summary Thematic expertise:
Through projects extending across over 20 years, I have been able to develop and apply expertise which integrates themes within the scope of urban renewal. This has included stakeholder engagement, sustainable mobility, emerging technologies (including digital data capture, and AVs) and the importance of green and open space in urban design and management. The connection of these themes at a human scale has been a driver, and I am able to demonstrate that focus throughout my research.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
The central focus of my research for 20 years has been that of collaboration and participation in the study, design and interaction with our built environment. I authored a book on the subject ("Digital Participation and Collaboration in Architectural Design", Routledge 2019), which was described by an external reviewer (in preparation for REF20201) as seminal.
Examples of project where such methods have been applied include:
- FP5 Greenspace (visualisation, workshops, contingent rating)
- Interreg CARE North, Build with Care, PAV (stakeholder engagement, town hall meetings, conferences, digital data capture)
- Civitas PORTIS (public survey, exhibition, public debate, app development, co-design)
- H2020 Urbanome (I am responsible for leading aspects of co-design within the urban living labs)
I have taken a leading role in all of these activities, which I believe demonstrate the intrinsic and deep value of collaboration across groups, and active participation if stakeholders.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
My colleagues and I have extensive experience of undertaking value assessment and project evaluation. The most recent example was through Civitas PORTIS, where we co-designed (with local partners) data collection, analysis and presentation to communicate and promote understanding and awareness of advances in sustainable mobility. This embraced established methods from the Civitas Initiative, and also benefitted from our own expertise in the use of digital data capture of sites (laser scanning, especially) and the use of such data to prompt and promote public debate. As with previous work concerning the built heritage, there was clear evidence of this approach being invaluable in the effort to engage groups not usually reached by such work.
Your role in designing and applying monitoring tools for integrated and sustainable urban policies
Provide examples of monitoring tools used in the project.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
I keep up to date about sustainable urban development policies, trends and funds though the following mechanisms:
- Engagement in conference and workshop activities (e.g. I presented at three 'smart city' online conferences during 2020, and will participate in POLIS 2021)
- I am currently an active partner in five EU projects concerning urban issues, including H2020 Urbanome and four projecst with Interreg NSR (concerning the effects of new technology on urban mobility, retro fitting of housing, and connected transport in cities and city regions)
- I am active in terms of academic writing connected with urban issues, urban design, urban management and abandoned space. This requires up to date and in depth literature review.
- I am active in the supervision of a cohort of PhD students, whose current subjects include sustainable urban management in small island nations, use of information management and collaboration to reduce environmental losses (e.g. in both oil pipelines and abandoned projects)
- Professional CPD (via the RICS)
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
Throughout all of my research, the starting point has been to explore and understand the context of the work. Whether in the area of environmental economics (where the challenges of benefit transfer are significant) or in the study of cities and regions, the importance of appreciating local contexts is paramount.
My role (H2020 PORTIS and Urbanome; Interreg NSR CARE North, PAV) has been to instigate, facilitate and foster engagement and co-design of the research approach, as well as the form of the outputs and tools used, with the local community. Taking such a stakeholder-led approach also carries the major benefit of increasing the liklihood of research results, outputs and suchlike being useful to (and used by) stakeholders.
Summary Expertise:
I have particular expertise in the areas of collaboration (between parties, groups and individuals) and participation (of stakeholders and the wide community) in research. This has often drawn on my knowledge of emerging digital technologies, where the associated methods are driven by a desire to identify and make use of innovative ways to communicate with target groups.
This expertise has been developed across two decades of work funded by EU framework programmes, Interreg and direct research commissions.
Informations
Residence location:
United Kingdom
Languages:
English - Mother tongue
Email:
r.laing@rgu.ac.uk