Research strength: Space, place and society
Developing a critical understanding of spaces and places by examining their cultures, politics, histories and responses to climate change.
Summary
About our research
The Space, place and society research group in the Department of Natural Sciences has a longstanding reputation for boundary-crossing research. Our research focuses on shared interests in the cultures, politics and economies of spaces and places, both past and present.
We’re committed to tackling inequalities, leading sustainability, transforming health, driving economic growth and championing creative excellence through our research themes:
- Climate, resilience, and adaptation
- Public participation in governance
- Sexual citizenship and geographies of sexualities
- City-region governance
- Geographic information systems(GIS)and health inequalities
- Sonic geographies
- Critical historical geographies
Theories and methodologies
We draw on a range of theories, including non-representational theories, queer theory, geographic political economy, governance and intersectionality. Our methodologies include discourse analysis, archival research, sensory methods, ethnography and big data.
Postgraduate research study
Postgraduate students interested in exploring our key themes are welcome to discuss research study opportunities.
International scholarships
We’re committed to international scholarship with projects in China, Japan, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, South Africa and Sweden.
Our funding
Our work is supported by regional, national, and international funders, including:
- Research Councils UK
- The British Academy
- The Royal Society
- The European Commission
- The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- The British Standards Institute
- The British Film Institute
- British Council
- Manchester Geographical Society
- The Wellcome Trust
- The National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise
Meet the team
See contact details, publications history, specialisms and more.
Our expertise
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Climate, resilience and adaptation
We investigate societal responses to climate change. Recent work has included:
- a vision for progressive climate resilience with Manchester Climate Change Agency
- identifying and sharing good practice in climate adaptation
- examining interpretations of resilience and climate adaptation
- critical interpretations of insurance for climate resilience
- exploring the use of small-scale adaptive technologies for smarter flood governance
- examining community engagement in resilience agendas
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Public participation in governance
We consider how the public and interest groups can engage with governance agendas and practices. Studies include:
- re-evaluating the concept of NIMBYism in spatial planning governance
- exploring notions of capture and autonomy for people and interest groups involved in urban governance
- participatory practice in climate policy and practice
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Sexual citizenship and geographies of sexualities
Our research analyses:
- LGBTQI activism in a transnational perspective
- sexualities, class, and consumption
- queer mobilities, transport and migration
- queer film festivals
- queer placemaking practices and comparative urbanism
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City-region governance
This research considers the ongoing development of city regions in the UK and Europe. It has references to the development of new scalar relations and policy trajectories. The work considers the following:
- Scalar governance
- Civil society
- Alternative economic policy
- Social innovation
- Foundational economy
- Local and regional policy
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GIS and health inequalities
We investigate the links between where people live, and their health and well-being in the context of population aging and digital technologies, including:
- Inequality in sports infrastructure and facilities
- Green exercise and climate impacts
- Disability and inclusive development
- AI-generated walking metrics and monitoring
- Urbanisation and health and wellbeing
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Sonic geographies
Our research explores how music and sound shape our understanding of the world. It includes sonic production and apprehension of space and place:
- Sonic heritage
- Sonic methods and methodological experimentation
- Soundscape composition and creative engagement with field recordings.
- Musical spatialities and imaginative geographies
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Critical historical geographies
Our research examines historical geographies of the 19th and 20th centuries, including:
- geographies of war, conflict, and resistance
- historical geographies of city-twinning
- geographies of religion, spirituality, and the occult
- contested pasts, heritages and landscapes
- archival encounters and methodological experimentation
Selected projects
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Selected publications
- Beel, D., Jones, M., & Jones, I. R. (2021). City Regions and Devolution in the UK. Policy Press.
- Binnie, J. and Klesse, C. (2018) ‘The politics of age and generation at the GAZE International LGBT Film Festival in Dublin’The Sociological Review, 66(1), pp. 191-206.
- Holloway, J. (2022) ‘Moving sonic geographies: realising the Eerie countryside in music and sound’, Cultural Geographies, 29(4), pp. 547–563.
- Holloway, J. (2023) ‘Sounding Folk Horror and the Strange Rural’, in R. Edgar and W. Johnson (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. London: Routledge, pp. 286-295.
- Qiu, N., Zhang, T., Cheng, J. (2023) ‘Examining the Impact of Spatial Accessibility to Rehabilitation Facilities on the Degree of Disability: A Heterogeneity Perspective’, SSM: Population Health, 23, pp. 101489-101489.
- Qiu, N., Cheng, J., Zhang, T. (2022) ‘Spatial disparity and structural inequality in disability patterns across Tianjin municipality: a multiple deprivation perspective’, Habitat International, 130, pp. 102685-102685
- Robinson, J.P. (2023) ‘Modelling military landscapes: archival encounters, model-making and camouflage practice’, in A. Cree (ed.) Creative Methods in Military Studies. London: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 99-114.
- Jones, R.D., Robinson, J.P. and Turner, J. (eds.) (2015) The politics of hiding, invisibility, and silence: between absence and presence. London: Routledge.
- O’Hare, P. (2021) Planning and Participation. London: Lund Humphries Publishers Limited.
- O’Hare, P. (2024) ‘A walk with “that wild dog of yours”: tales of circumscribed, co-negotiated and adaptive walking practices.’Social and Cultural Geography, https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2024.2308912.
- Russell, B., Beel, D., Jones, I. R., & Jones, M. (2022) ‘Placing the Foundational Economy: An emerging discourse for post-neoliberal economic development.’ Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 54(6), pp. 1–17.
- Stella, F. and Binnie, J. (2024) ‘Homing desires: Transnational queer migrants negotiating homes and homelands in Scotland’. The Sociological Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261241244654
Contact
Contact us
You can contact members of the team through their staff profiles.
For general enquiries, please contact our research group lead Dr Julian Holloway.