Cities and Environment

Digital technologies, including sensor networks, data analytics and agile control systems, have the potential to transform cities, and the lives of those who live and work in them, by helping us better understand, plan and manage them.

Theme Lead

Professor Richard Kingston

 

Theme Lead

Professor David Topping

Scope of Theme

We work closely with a range of external stakeholders at local, regional and national levels such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Whitehall Departments and organisations like Natural England and the Environment Agency.  We take a broad multidisciplinary approach to address the challenges, bringing together science and engineering, behavioural psychology, social science, public policy, spatial planning and urban geography. We have expertise in urban and environmental analytics with a range of themes including:

• Air quality monitoring
• Building management and energy efficiency
• Communities and citizen engagement
• Future Cities
• Digitally-enabled public services
• Integrated and autonomous transport
• Spatial analytics
• Water and waste management

Strengths

Manchester has a strong track record of Urban research which draws on the city of Manchester’s unique place at the epicentre of industrial capitalism and the city's response to 21st century devolution - which will potentially bring far reaching consequences for those living in Manchester and beyond.

Our Smart Cities projects integrate multiple solutions to manage a city's systems securely including transportation systems, health, environment and more.