This research theme is concerned with inclusive data innovations for urban sustainability that support climate action and enable progress towards the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This includes innovative ways of using digital footprint and citizen-generated data, combined with participatory methods to co-produce localised sustainability indicators in support of efforts to track progress on both climate mitigation (i.e. carbon-reduction towards net-zero targets) and adaptation measures to improve resilience to climate-related risks.

Our projects work across the global North and global South and take a participatory approach, co-creating data and innovative solutions with multidisciplinary researchers, non-academic partners, and communities. We are particularly interested in rethinking established approaches to the production, circulation and use of urban data, and how data might enable transformations that deliver equitable urban sustainability and climate resilience for all – including marginalised communities.

Our research engages with partners in the UK and globally, including academic institutions, local and national governments, disaster risk resilience organisations, grassroots communities, and citizen self-empowerment coalitions, among others. We are committed to transdisciplinary and participatory approaches, to ensure our research addresses social inequalities to deliver equitable and sustainable outcomes whilst facilitating transformative change.

Theme Lead

Professor João Porto de Albuquerque

Learn more about our work on Urban Sustainability & Participation by exploring the research projects below.