Dr Paul O'Hare
Dr Paul O'Hare
Senior Lecturer
My profile
Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in Geography & Development at Manchester Metropolitan University. My research interests include the governance of risk, stakeholder engagement in decision-making, and climate change resilience and adaptation. I have published in the field of participation in planning, climate change adaptation and on critical interpretations of resilience and climate adaptation. Though theoretically informed, my work is of significant policy and practice interest.
In 2015 I developed a Code of Practice for flood resilient technology in collaboration with the Building Research Establishment (Six steps for flood resilience). This influenced the recently published Code of Practice and guidance for property flood resilience (CIRIA). I have additionally advised Defra on the development of a cohort of surveyors to support property owners in adopting resilience technologies, and the BSI on adapting building standards to take account of flood risk. Most recently I was an UKRI Climate Science embedded researcher advising Manchester Climate Change Agency (MCCA) and Manchester City Council on the development of more robust policies for adaptation and resilience. I continue this work through my role as Chair of the MCCA’s Adaptation and Resilience Advisory Group, as well as several other local authority climate advisory groups.
Interests and expertise
- Climate risk and adaptation.
- Critical interpretations of resilience.
- Public and civil society engagement in decision-making and governance.
- Working at the interface of academia and policy & practice.
Impact
I have considerable experience of qualitative research, stakeholder engagement activities, and knowledge exchange. Previous research has entailed projects sponsored by UKRI, EPRSC/ RCUK and EUFP7, government sponsored research projects (Defra) and other entities (BSI Group). This work has entailed significant interaction with policy formulators, practitioners, communities and small & medium sized enterprises. I have developed training programmes for practitioners with the Emergency Planning Society, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and community advocacy organizations including the Citizens Advice Bureau and the National Flood Forum. I have also worked with entities such as the UK Met Office to develop climate city packs and heat vulnerability social indexing. I am currently a member of the Expert Review Group for the United Nations Race to Resilience initiative.
Teaching
Undergraduate teaching
I teach across numerous undergraduate modules, including:
- Introducing Human Geographies
- Tutorial & Field Activities (Geography & Human Geography)
- Research Design
- Research Analysis
- Fieldwork and Research Design (Geography fieldtrip - Malta)
- People, Place & Planning
- Geography & Human Geography undergraduate dissertation
Research outputs
- Climate adaptation and resilience
- Community and stakeholder involvement in governance and decision-making
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
O'Hare, P. (2021) Planning and Participation. Lund Humphries Publishers Limited.
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Chapters in books
Lonsdale, K., Coles, T., O'Hare, P., Douglas, C., Scott-Bottoms, S., Kennedy-Asser,, A., Rougé, C., Wagner, C. (2024) 'Learning from organisational embedding for climate resilience.' In Dessai, S., Lonsdale, K., Lowe, J., Harcourt, R. (ed.) Quantifying Climate Risk and Building Resilience in the UK. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 43-59.
Garry, F., O'Hare, P., Scannell, C., Ashton, J., Davies, M., Freeborough, K., Kennedy-Asser, A., Macdonald, N., Scott-Bottoms, S., Sharp, L. (2024) 'Putting climate resilience in its place: developing spatially literate climate adaptation initiatives.' In Dessai, S., Lonsdale, K., Lowe, J., Harcourt, R. (ed.) Quantifying Climate Risk and Building Resilience in the UK. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 43-59.
Lonsdale, K., Arnell, N., Coles, T., Lock, K., O'Connell, E., O'Hare, P., Tompkins, E. (2024) 'Climate resilience: interpretations of the term and implications for practice.' In Dessai, S., Lonsdale, K., Lowe, J., Harcourt, R. (ed.) Quantifying Climate Risk and Building Resilience in the UK. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 15-23.
Garry, F., O'Hare, P., Scannell, C., Ashton, J., Davies, M., Freeborough, K.A., Kennedy-Asser, A., Macdonald, N., Scott-Bottoms, S., Sharp, L. (2023) 'Putting climate resilience in its place: Developing spatially literate climate adaptation initiatives.' Quantifying Climate Risk and Building Resilience in the UK. pp. 63-74.
Bernie, D., Garry, F., Jenkins, K., Arnell, N., Dawkins, L., Ford, A., Kennedy-Asser, A., O'Hare, P., Perks, R., Ramsey, V., Sayers, P. (2023) 'What has been learned about converting climate hazard data to climate risk information?.' Quantifying Climate Risk and Building Resilience in the UK. pp. 163-176.
O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A. (2016) 'Insurance as maladaptation: Resilience and the `business as usual' paradox.' The Routledge Handbook of International Resilience. pp. 238-250.
O'Hare, P.A. (2012) 'Managing Sensitive Relations in Planning Policy Research: Co-production and Critical Friendship in the Enterprising University.' In Imrie, P.R., Allen, P.C. (ed.) The Knowledge Business. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.,
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Reports
Jones, B., O'Hare, P., Connelly, A., Barker, M. Research into Standards for Flood Resilience. British Standards Institution.
O'Hare, P. (2022) Chapter 4: Adaptation and Resilience. Manchester Climate Change Agency.
O'Hare, P. (2022) Manchester Climate Ready: developing progressive resilience across the city. Manchester Climate Change Agency.
O'Hare, P. (2021) Manchester climate risk: a framework for understanding hazards & vulnerability. Manchester Climate Change Agency.
Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P., White, I. (2013) Six Steps to Flood Resilience. School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester.
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Journal articles
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, pp. 1-20.
Connelly, A., O'Hare, P., White, I. (2020) '“The best flood I ever had”: contingent resilience and the (relative) success of adaptive technologies.' Cities, 106
Alves, F., Leal Filho, W., Casaleiro, P., Nagy, G.J., Diaz, H., Al-Amin, A.Q., de Andrade Guerra, J.B.S.O., Hurlbert, M., Farooq, H., Klavins, M., Saroar, M., Lorencova, E.K., Suresh, J., Soares, A., Morgado, F., O'Hare, P., Wolf, F., Azeiteiro, U.M. (2019) 'Climate change policies and agendas: Facing implementation challenges and guiding responses.' Environmental Science and Policy, 104pp. 190-198.
Loroño-Leturiondo, M., O'Hare, P., Cook, S.J., Hoon, S.R., Illingworth, S. (2019) 'Building bridges between experts and the public: a comparison of two-way communication formats for flooding and air pollution risk.' Geoscience Communication, 2(1) pp. 39-53.
Loro no-Leturiondo, M., O'Hare, P., Cook, S., Hoon, S.R., Illingworth, S. (2018) 'Give me five! – reasons for two-way communication between experts and citizens in relation to air pollution risk.' Advances in Science and Research, 15pp. 45-50.
O'Hare, P.A. (2018) 'Resisting the 'Long‐Arm' of the State? Spheres of Capture and Opportunities for Autonomy in Community Governance.' International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 42(2) pp. 210-225.
O'Hare, P., White, I. (2018) 'Beyond ‘just’ flood risk management: the potential for—and limits to—alleviating flood disadvantage.' Regional Environmental Change, 18(2) pp. 385-396.
Randviir, E.P. (2017) 'Novel Research Methods Supporting Advanced Waste Treatment Technologies within a Circular Economy.' Environmental Scientist, 26(4) pp. 82-87.
O Hare, P., Cavan, G., Filho, W.L. (2016) 'Introduction to the special issue on adaptive flood risk management.' Natural Hazards, 82pp. 145-148.
White, I., Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P. (2016) 'Flood resilience technology in Europe: identifying barriers and co-producing best practice.' Journal of Flood Risk Management, 11(S1) pp. S468-S478.
O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A. (2015) 'Insurance as maladaptation: Resilience and the 'business as usual' paradox.' Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 34(6) pp. 1175-1193.
Connelly, A., Gabalda, V., Garvin, S., Hunter, K., Kelly, D., Lawson, N., O’Hare, P., White, I. (2015) 'Testing innovative technologies to manage flood risk.' Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Water Management, 168(2) pp. 66-73.
White, I., O'Hare, P. (2014) 'From rhetoric to reality: which resilience, why resilience, and whose resilience in spatial planning?.' ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING C-GOVERNMENT AND POLICY, 32
O'Hare, P., White, I. (2013) 'Deconstructing Resilience: Lessons from Planning Practice: Special Edition of Planning Practice and Research.' Planning Practice and Research, 28(3) pp. 275-279.
Jacoby, T., Howarth, K., Irvine, C., Lamont, C., Fairbairn, G., Webb, D., Alidu, S., Bustos, A.M., Coaffee, J., O'Hare, P. (2011) 'The Forum: Dealing with the Aftermath of Political Violence.' INTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, 13(2) pp. 354-385.
O'Hare, P., Coaffee, J., Hawkesworth, M. (2010) 'Managing sensitive relations in co-produced planning research.' Public Money and Management, 30(4) pp. 243-250.
O'Hare, P. (2010) 'Capacity building for community-led regeneration: Facilitating or frustrating public engagement?.' International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 30(1-2) pp. 32-47.
Coaffee, J., O'Hare Dr., P., Hawkesworth Dr., M. (2009) 'The visibility of (in)security: The aesthetics of planning urban defences against terrorism.' Security Dialogue, 40(4-5) pp. 489-511.
O'Hare, P. (2009) 'Cities in a Time of Terror: Space, Territory, and Local Resilience.' URBAN STUDIES, 46(3) pp. 705-707.
Coaffee, J., O’Hare, P. (2008) 'Urban resilience and national security: the role for planning.' Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Urban Design and Planning, 161(4) pp. 173-182.
Mcclymont, K., O'Hare, P. (2008) '"We're not NIMBYs!" Contrasting local protest groups with idealised conceptions of sustainable communities.' Local Environment, 13(4) pp. 321-335.
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Non-peer reviewed articles / reviews
O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A. (2017) Insuring we fail? Flood risk, vulnerability and the limits to 'bouncing back'..
White, I., Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P. (2015) Towards best practice in property level protection.