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Richard Cowell

Professor Richard Cowell

Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Director of Research and Innovation

School of Geography and Planning

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Richard Cowell is Professor of Environmental Planning. He studies the the way that planning systems address environmental problems, focusing on how environmental problems are understood, the governance approaches and planning tools that are used to deal with them, and the policy consequences of development-environment conflicts. Richard has examined how these issues unfold in relation to a number of challenges: the spatial governance of transitions towards more sustainable energy systems; the effects of shifting the scale at which policy-making and planning takes place (such as Brexit, devolution and decentralisation); and the effects of new policy concepts, such as environmental capital, ecosystems approaches and the use of environmental targets. He is particularly interested in responses to declarations of climate and nature ‘emergencies’ and ‘net zero’ agendas.

As well as his substantive expertise, Richard has extensive experience in the design and conducting of interviews and focus groups, and in providing advice to government and professional organisations. His work has been published widely in international journals across the planning, energy and environmental policy fields. He has also produced a number of books, most recently The Routledge Companion to Environmental Planning (with Simin Davoudi, Hilda Blanco, and Iain White).

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Monographs

Research

My research interests focus on how systems of land use planning, and public policy more widely, might be re-shaped to better promote environmental sustainability. I am interested in conceptual debates about the interpretation of sustainability and theories of policy change, but I am always keen to discover what can be learned from actual cases where struggles over the environmental acceptability of plans, projects and policies is taking place. The relationship between planning and environmental and energy policy is a particular interest.

I have applied these broad interests to questions about: the effects of planning reforms on environmental sustainability; how planning interfaces with energy transitions, especially infrastructural developments like renewable energy; and the effects of changing governance scale on dynamics of planning and environmental conflicts. Whether new environmental concepts or evaluation tools change the way that environmental concerns are treated in planning is of interest to me, as is the effects of beliefs about the substitutability or restorability of nature.

I have recenty completed a number of research projects:

1) I was part of a team working on the ESRC-funded research project 'Divergence, dismantling and contestation: Brexit and the repoliticisation of UK environmental governance', which is part of the UK in a Changing Europe Initiative (see http://ukandeu.ac.uk/ ). I remain an associate of the Brexit and Environment network (https://www.brexitenvironment.co.uk/about/)

2) I led a project examining the possible future relationship between the UK planning system and EU environmental directives after Brexit, for the Royal Town Planning Institute (https://www.rtpi.org.uk/research/2019/january/environmental-planning-after-brexit/)

3) A closely related project is a study of the possible effects of Brexit on UK waste policy, identfying a number of scenarios. See http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/explore/find-a-project/view/836789-uk-environmental-governance-post-brexit-what-will-happen-to-waste

4) With Jan Webb at Edinburgh University, I delivered a scoping study into the efficacy of Local Area Energy Planning, for the Energy Technologies Institute and Energy System Catapult (see report at https://heatandthecity.org.uk/resource/local-area-energy-planning-a-scoping-study-final-report/)

5) With colleagues in the Universities of Liverpool and Dundee, I have just completed an evaluation of the scope to use Strategic Environmental Assessment to better embed environmnental priorities in the planning system, for NatureSAcot.

6) In the energy field, I acted as mentor to two research fellow, Dr Carla de Laurentis (2019-2020; funded by the ESRC: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/1702852-de-laurentis-carla) and Dr Stanislav Martinat, EU-funded COFUND Fellow (2018-2020; https://www.geonika.cz/EN/personal/ENmartinat.html).

Within the School of Geography and Planning I am a member of the Environment Research Group.

Teaching

My teaching focuses on the environmental dimensions of planning, at all levels, from introductory teaching for first year undergraduates through to adanced post-graduate programmes. Within this I have delivered specialist teaching on aspects of planning for sustainability, the role of planning in promoting transitions towards sustainable energy systems, and planning and infrastructure.

Over a twenty-five year teaching career, I have held a large number of teaching management roles, including year tutor, course director (for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes), and helped to set up and run the innovative PLANET Europe programme, a two-year Masters degree involving a collaboration between Cardiff University, Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands) and the Swedish School of Planning in Blekinge, Sweden.

Biography

Qualifications

  • BA Hons Geography, Cambridge University, (1990)
  • PhD, (1995)

Career

Prior to arriving at Cardiff, Richard completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Department of Geography, Cambridge University. Whilst there, he worked as a researcher for the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UK CEED). Since arriving at the School of Geography and Planning Richard has held appointments as a Research Fellow (1996-2000), Lecturer (2000-2005), Senior Lecturer (2005-2011), Reader (2011-16) and Professor (2016-present).

Honours and awards

In 2009 Richard was a joint winner of the RTPI Teaching Excellence Award for the innovative teaching and learning methods used in module CPT737Sustainability in Practice (with Dr Jon Anderson).

Professional memberships

Member of Editorial Board for Planning Theory and Practice (2007-present).

Supervisions

I am always interested to hear from prospective PhD students who wish to conduct research in my areas of expertise. I study the way that planning systems address environmental problems, focusing on how environmental problems are understood, the governance approaches and planning tools that are used to deal with them, and the policy consequences of development-environment conflicts.

I am particularly interested in supervising Ph.D. students with the following interests:

  • the governance of transitions towards more sustainable energy systems, including the role of planning, infrastructure development, and engagement of communities;
  • the dynamics of planning for environmental sustainability, including the effects of new policy concepts, such as environmental capital, ecosystems approaches and the use of environmental targets
  • the effects on environmental planning of shifting the scale at which policy-making and planning takes place (such as Brexit, devolution and decentralisation)
  • planning and policy responses to declarations of climate and nature 'emergencies' and 'net zero' agendas

Current supervision

Richard Cardwell

Richard Cardwell

Research student

Jill Gettrup

Jill Gettrup

Research student

Stephen Croft

Stephen Croft

Research student

Contact Details

Email CowellRJ@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 76684
Campuses Glamorgan Building, Room 2.74, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
Uncertainty and constitutional dispute puts Green Brexit at risk

Uncertainty and constitutional dispute puts Green Brexit at risk

09 October 2018

What will happen to waste?

What will happen to waste?

03 April 2017