Projects
Planning, regeneration and research shaping more liveable, inclusive and climate-resilient places
I bring together teaching, research and practical experience across planning, regeneration and community engagement. I help organisations and communities understand places, explore possibilities and develop practical approaches to planning, regeneration, community engagement and climate resilience.
My experience spans neighbourhood and town centre regeneration, housing renewal, community planning and climate adaptation, alongside international research and teaching in sustainable urban planning. My projects bring together strategic planning, participation and practical delivery across different places, scales and contexts.
The selected projects below illustrate this range of work, from international research collaborations to neighbourhood and town centre regeneration, community-led planning and climate resilience.
Research & Innovation
International Research Collaboration
Participatory Placemaking & Blue Green Infrastructure
Principal Investigator · University of the West of Scotland & Wageningen University & Research
Research Overview
I lead an international research collaboration exploring how participatory placemaking and blue green infrastructure can contribute to more equitable, nature-positive and climate-resilient urban environments.
The collaboration brings together perspectives from Scotland and the Netherlands to examine how community knowledge, lived experience and environmental evidence can inform climate adaptation, biodiversity enhancement and sustainable urban development.
The research contributes practical insights into how inclusive approaches can strengthen planning, placemaking and environmental decision-making.
Research Focus
- Participatory approaches to placemaking and climate adaptation
- Blue green infrastructure and equitable access to environmental benefits
- Nature-positive and multi-benefit urban interventions
- Community knowledge and lived experience in planning
- Knowledge exchange between research, policy and practice
- International collaboration and comparative learning
My Role
As Principal Investigator, I lead the collaboration, supporting international knowledge exchange, participatory research development and future opportunities for collaborative research.
The project connects academic and practitioner perspectives to explore how locally grounded approaches can contribute to wider thinking around inclusive and climate-resilient urban development.
Doctoral Research
Blue Green Placemaking for Liveable, Flood-Resilient Urban Environments
Hydro Nation Scholar · University of Dundee · PhD Research
Research Overview
As a Hydro Nation Scholar, funded by the Scottish Government, my doctoral research explored how blue green infrastructure, placemaking and participatory co-design could be brought together to support more liveable, inclusive and flood-resilient urban environments. It considered how technical flood-risk evidence, local knowledge and community perspectives can complement one another to inform responses to flooding that reflect local needs and aspirations, while delivering wider benefits for biodiversity, environmental quality and social wellbeing.
Research Contribution & Recognition
The research has received external recognition, including the award-winning PhD video Placemaking and Blue Green Infrastructure for Multiple Benefits, recognised through the Buildings & Cities Video Challenge 2024.
The first journal paper from this research was shortlisted for the RTPI Early Career Research Awards for Research Excellence, recognising its contribution to planning research and innovation.
Outputs
Research outputs include peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, research communication activities and practitioner-facing resources exploring blue green infrastructure, participatory placemaking and climate-resilient planning.
Community Engagement & Participatory Planning
Research-Informed Practice
Creative Facilitation & Serious Games
Innovation Overview
As part of my PhD research, I developed a participatory methodology combining LEGO® Serious Play®, serious games and placemaking approaches to help communities and practitioners explore complex environmental challenges, visualise alternative futures and co-design locally relevant solutions.
The methodology was published in the Journal of Urban Design and Planning through the paper Gamifying Flood Resilience: Serious Games, Playful Placemaking and Blue Green Infrastructure Planning .
This work continues to evolve through professional learning, knowledge exchange and collaboration with international researchers. I also contribute to the EKLIPSE Expert Working Group, exploring how games can strengthen connections between science, policy and society.
Future Development
I am continuing to expand the application of these approaches through workshops, training and collaborative projects with organisations interested in creative approaches to participatory planning and climate resilience.
Community Planning · Participatory Engagement
Planning for Real® Community Engagement
Engagement Overview
Following accredited Planning for Real® facilitator training, I led the design and delivery of a Planning for Real® community engagement process, using participatory methods to enable residents to identify priorities, articulate local knowledge and influence place-based planning discussions.
The process used accessible, hands-on participation methods to bring together community knowledge, lived experience and local aspirations, supporting more inclusive approaches to community planning and place-based decision-making.
Through physical models, visual engagement techniques and structured discussion, the approach helped residents identify valued places, challenges and opportunities while ensuring local knowledge informed future planning priorities.
Approach
- Planning for Real® participatory methods and physical modelling
- Accessible community workshops and facilitated discussion
- Visual engagement techniques to support inclusive participation
- Capturing local knowledge, priorities and aspirations
- Connecting community experience with place-based planning processes
Outcomes
The engagement supported communities to articulate priorities, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute meaningful knowledge to local planning processes.
This work reflects my wider approach to participatory planning and community engagement: moving beyond consultation towards collaborative approaches where communities contribute evidence, ideas and place-based understanding that can inform planning and regeneration.
Planning, Regeneration & Delivery
Community Regeneration · Place-Based Planning
Livingston Regeneration & Partnership Planning
Project Overview
A strategic place-based regeneration programme supporting neighbourhood improvement through evidence-informed action planning, partnership working and community-led regeneration.
I developed the Livingston North Ward Action Plan and Livingston South Ward Action Plan, bringing together community priorities, local evidence and partner input to identify challenges, opportunities and practical actions for neighbourhood regeneration.
I supported the development of the Livingston Integrated Partnership Plan, helping align community priorities with strategic objectives and strengthening coordination between partners responsible for regeneration and service delivery.
This work connected strategic planning with local implementation, supporting initiatives including environmental improvements, community gardens, youth provision, employability initiatives and wider neighbourhood development.
Areas of Practice
Place-based planning · Community regeneration · Action planning · Community engagement · Partnership working · Strategic planning · Evidence-informed planning
Town Centre Regeneration · Place Strategy
Banff & Macduff Town Centre Regeneration
Project Overview
A town centre regeneration project bringing together stakeholder perspectives, local priorities and practical actions to support the future vitality and resilience of Banff and Macduff.
I led stakeholder engagement to inform the development of the Banff & Macduff Town Centre Action Plan, bringing together diverse stakeholder perspectives to build consensus around regeneration priorities and translate local ambitions into an actionable town centre improvement programme.
Alongside this work, I led the implementation and management of the Retail Plus Scheme, supporting investment in town centre businesses and contributing to wider regeneration objectives across both communities.
Areas of Practice
Town centre regeneration · Stakeholder engagement · Action planning · Business engagement · Project management · Place strategy
Housing-Led Regeneration & Development Delivery
Housing Renewal & Investment Programme
Project Overview
A housing regeneration programme across North West England focused on acquiring and regenerating former local authority housing stock to support affordable housing provision.
I project managed the acquisition of former local authority housing stock on behalf of The Regenda Group. I led the purchase process, coordinating partners and overseeing refurbishment and redevelopment activity to return properties to social housing provision.
The work demonstrated experience delivering complex housing regeneration projects, managing acquisition processes and coordinating partners to support investment in existing housing assets.
Areas of Practice
Housing regeneration · Property acquisition · Project management · Regeneration strategy · Development delivery · Affordable housing
Neighbourhood Regeneration · Resident Engagement
Saltmead Waterfront Regeneration & Community Investment
Project Overview
A neighbourhood regeneration project combining physical improvement, community investment and resident engagement within the Saltmead estate.
I led regeneration activity across physical improvements, community investment and resident engagement, working with residents, community organisations and delivery partners to align investment with local priorities.
Working with residents, community organisations and delivery partners, I helped identify local priorities, support community participation and connect physical regeneration investment with wider social and community outcomes.
Areas of Practice
Neighbourhood regeneration · Resident engagement · Community investment · Partnership working · Project coordination
Regeneration Strategy · Place-Based Planning
Seaforth Neighbourhood Regeneration Strategy
Project Overview
I developed and project managed a neighbourhood regeneration strategy, bringing together evidence, stakeholder perspectives and community priorities to identify challenges, opportunities and actions for longer-term renewal.
The strategy involved analysis of socio-economic conditions, existing policies and regeneration opportunities, alongside engagement with partners and residents to develop a shared understanding of local needs and priorities.
Working collaboratively with public, community and economic partners, I translated evidence and consultation findings into recommendations to support future investment, partnership working and neighbourhood improvement.
Areas of Practice
Regeneration strategy · Place-based planning · Stakeholder engagement · Community consultation · Partnership working