![Nick Hacking BA (Hons) MSc AFHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/7324?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Nick Hacking
(he/him)
BA (Hons) MSc AFHEA
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Nick Hacking
Lecturer in Urban Planning and Development
Overview
My research agenda examines how governance, expertise and public participation shape sustainability transitions in energy, waste and resource systems. I trace an intellectual progression from environmental planning and infrastructure conflicts to broader questions of sustainability governance and citizen involvement in knowledge production.
Early research work focused on controversial infrastructure projects, particularly energy-from-waste developments, showing how planning systems function as political arenas where competing forms of environmental knowledge, public participation and sustainability claims are negotiated.
My research then expanded into sustainability transitions and the circular economy, analysing how governance arrangements, regulatory frameworks, supply chains and global resource flows influence efforts to create more circular systems of resource management.
More recently I have investigated citizen science, environmental sensing technologies and participatory research, exploring how communities generate environmental evidence and how such knowledge interacts with regulatory institutions and scientific expertise.
Across these themes, the central concern remains understanding how governance systems shape transitions towards more sustainable, equitable and socially just environmental infrastructures.
Publication
2024
- Hacking, N. , Lewis, J. and Evans, R. 2024. Mapping approaches to ‘citizen science’ and ‘community science’ and everything in-between: The evolution of new epistemic territory?. Minerva 62 (4), pp.549-572. (10.1007/s11024-024-09529-z)
- Hacking, N. , Evans, R. and Lewis, J. 2024. Expertise, trading zones and the planning system: a case study of an energy-from-biomass plant. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space 7 (3), pp.1418-1435. (10.1177/25148486231212083)
2023
- Hacking, N. , Lewis, J. and Evans, R. 2023. It is time to rethink what citizen science really is. [Online].Vol. 28 MarThe Conversation: The Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-rethink-what-citizen-science-really-is-202397.
- Evans, R. , Hacking, N. and Lewis, J. 2023. Expanding citizen science: community action without primary data collection. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 8 (1), pp.1-12. 11. (10.5334/cstp.503)
2021
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2021. A place-specific approach to environmental governance in China: The protean environmental state.. In: Shei, C. and Wei, W. eds. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Studies.. Abingdon: Taylor and Francis. , pp.205-218.
- Evans, R. , Lewis, J. and Hacking, N. 2021. Tackling air quality monitoring with a citizen science group. [Online].Wiserd Blogs: WISERD. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/tackling-air-quality-monitoring-citizen-science-group.
- Frank, A. et al. 2021. More than open space! The case for green infrastructure teaching in planning curricula. Urban Planning 6 (1), pp.63-74. (10.17645/up.v6i1.3518)
- Jenkins, K. E. H. et al., 2021. The methodologies, geographies, and technologies of energy justice: A systematic and comprehensive review.. Environmental Research Letters 16 (4) 043009. (10.1088/1748-9326/abd78c)
2020
- Cowell, R. , Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2020. Conceptualizing environmental governance in turbulent times: insights from Brexit and waste in the UK. Political Geography 81 102217. (10.1016/j.polgeo.2020.102217)
- Flynn, A. , Xie, L. and Hacking, N. 2020. Governing people, governing places: advancing the protean environmental state in China. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 22 (5), pp.724-744. (10.1080/1523908X.2020.1806048)
2019
- Flynn, A. , Hacking, N. and Xie, L. 2019. Governance of the circular economy: A comparative examination of the use of standards by China and the United Kingdom. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 33 , pp.282-300. (10.1016/j.eist.2019.08.002)
- Hacking, N. , Pearson, P. and Eames, M. 2019. Mapping innovation and diffusion of hydrogen fuel cell technologies: Evidence from the UK's hydrogen fuel cell technological innovation system, 1954 - 2012. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 44 (57), pp.29805-29848. (10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.09.137)
- Hacking, N. 2019. Waste and management of environmental resources. In: Davoudi, S. et al., The Routledge Companion to Environmental Planning. Oxon: Routledge. , pp.257-267.
- Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2019. Setting standards for a circular economy: A challenge too far for neoliberal environmental governance?. Journal of Cleaner Production 212 , pp.1256-1267. (10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.257)
2018
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2018. Protesting against neoliberal and illiberal governmentalities: A comparative analysis of waste governance in the UK and China.. Political Geography 63 , pp.31-42. (10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.12.004)
2017
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2017. Networks, power and knowledge in the planning system: a case study of energy from waste. Progress in Planning 113 , pp.1-37. (10.1016/j.progress.2015.12.001)
- Cowell, R. , Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2017. Assessing the impact of Brexit on the UK waste resource management sector. Project Report.School of Geography and Planning.
- Hacking, N. 2017. A comparative UK-German study of hydrogen fuel cell innovative activity. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
2015
- Baxter, J. and Hacking, N. 2015. Expert hydrogen perspectives for technological innovation: A Q-method study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 40 (8), pp.3111-3121. (10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.06.171)
- Dalton, G. et al., 2015. Economic and socio-economic assessment methods for ocean renewable energy: Public and private perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 45 , pp.850-873. (10.1016/j.rser.2015.01.068)
2014
- Bock, B. , Hacking, N. and Miele, M. 2014. Coordinated European Animal Welfare Network (EuWelNet) - Deliverable 4 (2014). Project Report.[Online].EUWelNet. Available at: http://www.euwelnet.eu/downloadattachment/53429/24945/EUWelNet%20Deliverable%204%20FINAL.pdf.
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2014. Networks, protest and regulatory systems: the case of energy from waste. Local Environment 19 (3), pp.334-355. (10.1080/13549839.2013.790353)
2013
- Chadderton, C. et al. 2013. Health impact assessment in the UK planning system: the possibilities and limits of community engagement. Health Promotion International 28 (4), pp.533-543. (10.1093/heapro/das031)
- Hacking, N. 2013. Models of innovation, their policy implications and hydrogen and fuel cells (HFCs) literature : a review. Working paper. EPSRC.
- Hacking, N. 2013. Regional energy transitions: pathways to hydrogen infrastructure in South Wales. Materials Architecture Design Environment (MADE) 2013 (8), pp.78-79.
- Hacking, N. 2013. Supporting national hydrogen and fuel cell innovation systems: Germany and the UK compared. Presented at: SUPERGEN Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen (DoSH2) London, UK 11 March 2013.
2012
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2012. Pushing the Boundaries: Advocating Space and Place in Innovation Studies. Presented at: 3rd International Conference on Sustainability Transitions (IST2012) - Navigating Theories and Challenging Realities Copenhagen, Denmark 29-31 August 2012.
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. C. 2012. Networks, power and environmental planning. Presented at: Europe matters - European spatial planning, environmental policies and regional development Nijmegen, Netherlands 20 September 2012.
2011
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2011. Forks in the road: Contrasting transition pathways in the delivery of sustainable hydrogen. Presented at: LCRI Conference Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK 15-16 November 2011.
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2011. Forks in the road: Contrasting transition pathways in the delivery of sustainable hydrogen. Presented at: 4th World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC) 2011 Glasgow, UK 14-16 September 2011.
2010
- Greenup, R. , Powell, E. and Hacking, N. 2010. Interim report of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the waste incineration development planned in Trident Park, Splott, by Viridor Ltd. Project Report.Cardiff: Public Health Wales/Communities First/Cardiff University.
Articles
- Hacking, N. , Lewis, J. and Evans, R. 2024. Mapping approaches to ‘citizen science’ and ‘community science’ and everything in-between: The evolution of new epistemic territory?. Minerva 62 (4), pp.549-572. (10.1007/s11024-024-09529-z)
- Hacking, N. , Evans, R. and Lewis, J. 2024. Expertise, trading zones and the planning system: a case study of an energy-from-biomass plant. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space 7 (3), pp.1418-1435. (10.1177/25148486231212083)
- Evans, R. , Hacking, N. and Lewis, J. 2023. Expanding citizen science: community action without primary data collection. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 8 (1), pp.1-12. 11. (10.5334/cstp.503)
- Frank, A. et al. 2021. More than open space! The case for green infrastructure teaching in planning curricula. Urban Planning 6 (1), pp.63-74. (10.17645/up.v6i1.3518)
- Jenkins, K. E. H. et al., 2021. The methodologies, geographies, and technologies of energy justice: A systematic and comprehensive review.. Environmental Research Letters 16 (4) 043009. (10.1088/1748-9326/abd78c)
- Cowell, R. , Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2020. Conceptualizing environmental governance in turbulent times: insights from Brexit and waste in the UK. Political Geography 81 102217. (10.1016/j.polgeo.2020.102217)
- Flynn, A. , Xie, L. and Hacking, N. 2020. Governing people, governing places: advancing the protean environmental state in China. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning 22 (5), pp.724-744. (10.1080/1523908X.2020.1806048)
- Flynn, A. , Hacking, N. and Xie, L. 2019. Governance of the circular economy: A comparative examination of the use of standards by China and the United Kingdom. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 33 , pp.282-300. (10.1016/j.eist.2019.08.002)
- Hacking, N. , Pearson, P. and Eames, M. 2019. Mapping innovation and diffusion of hydrogen fuel cell technologies: Evidence from the UK's hydrogen fuel cell technological innovation system, 1954 - 2012. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 44 (57), pp.29805-29848. (10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.09.137)
- Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2019. Setting standards for a circular economy: A challenge too far for neoliberal environmental governance?. Journal of Cleaner Production 212 , pp.1256-1267. (10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.257)
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2018. Protesting against neoliberal and illiberal governmentalities: A comparative analysis of waste governance in the UK and China.. Political Geography 63 , pp.31-42. (10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.12.004)
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2017. Networks, power and knowledge in the planning system: a case study of energy from waste. Progress in Planning 113 , pp.1-37. (10.1016/j.progress.2015.12.001)
- Baxter, J. and Hacking, N. 2015. Expert hydrogen perspectives for technological innovation: A Q-method study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 40 (8), pp.3111-3121. (10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.06.171)
- Dalton, G. et al., 2015. Economic and socio-economic assessment methods for ocean renewable energy: Public and private perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 45 , pp.850-873. (10.1016/j.rser.2015.01.068)
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2014. Networks, protest and regulatory systems: the case of energy from waste. Local Environment 19 (3), pp.334-355. (10.1080/13549839.2013.790353)
- Chadderton, C. et al. 2013. Health impact assessment in the UK planning system: the possibilities and limits of community engagement. Health Promotion International 28 (4), pp.533-543. (10.1093/heapro/das031)
- Hacking, N. 2013. Regional energy transitions: pathways to hydrogen infrastructure in South Wales. Materials Architecture Design Environment (MADE) 2013 (8), pp.78-79.
Book sections
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2021. A place-specific approach to environmental governance in China: The protean environmental state.. In: Shei, C. and Wei, W. eds. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Studies.. Abingdon: Taylor and Francis. , pp.205-218.
- Hacking, N. 2019. Waste and management of environmental resources. In: Davoudi, S. et al., The Routledge Companion to Environmental Planning. Oxon: Routledge. , pp.257-267.
Conferences
- Hacking, N. 2013. Supporting national hydrogen and fuel cell innovation systems: Germany and the UK compared. Presented at: SUPERGEN Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen (DoSH2) London, UK 11 March 2013.
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2012. Pushing the Boundaries: Advocating Space and Place in Innovation Studies. Presented at: 3rd International Conference on Sustainability Transitions (IST2012) - Navigating Theories and Challenging Realities Copenhagen, Denmark 29-31 August 2012.
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. C. 2012. Networks, power and environmental planning. Presented at: Europe matters - European spatial planning, environmental policies and regional development Nijmegen, Netherlands 20 September 2012.
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2011. Forks in the road: Contrasting transition pathways in the delivery of sustainable hydrogen. Presented at: LCRI Conference Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK 15-16 November 2011.
- Hacking, N. and Eames, M. 2011. Forks in the road: Contrasting transition pathways in the delivery of sustainable hydrogen. Presented at: 4th World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC) 2011 Glasgow, UK 14-16 September 2011.
Monographs
- Cowell, R. , Flynn, A. and Hacking, N. 2017. Assessing the impact of Brexit on the UK waste resource management sector. Project Report.School of Geography and Planning.
- Bock, B. , Hacking, N. and Miele, M. 2014. Coordinated European Animal Welfare Network (EuWelNet) - Deliverable 4 (2014). Project Report.[Online].EUWelNet. Available at: http://www.euwelnet.eu/downloadattachment/53429/24945/EUWelNet%20Deliverable%204%20FINAL.pdf.
- Hacking, N. 2013. Models of innovation, their policy implications and hydrogen and fuel cells (HFCs) literature : a review. Working paper. EPSRC.
- Greenup, R. , Powell, E. and Hacking, N. 2010. Interim report of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the waste incineration development planned in Trident Park, Splott, by Viridor Ltd. Project Report.Cardiff: Public Health Wales/Communities First/Cardiff University.
Thesis
- Hacking, N. 2017. A comparative UK-German study of hydrogen fuel cell innovative activity. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Websites
- Hacking, N. , Lewis, J. and Evans, R. 2023. It is time to rethink what citizen science really is. [Online].Vol. 28 MarThe Conversation: The Conversation Trust. Available at: https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-rethink-what-citizen-science-really-is-202397.
- Evans, R. , Lewis, J. and Hacking, N. 2021. Tackling air quality monitoring with a citizen science group. [Online].Wiserd Blogs: WISERD. Available at: https://wiserd.ac.uk/news/tackling-air-quality-monitoring-citizen-science-group.
Research
I research the improved governance of waste, resources and energy (the ‘circular economy’). This interdisciplinary area of research links urban planning, human geography and sustainable development.
Firstly, the European Union (EU) has historically played a central role in reshaping the UK’s approach to sustainable waste management. Formerly waste materials attracted a zero or negative value and the favoured disposal option was landfill. Now, waste materials are regarded as resources with value for the economy. This gradual shift in policy, practice and the conceptualisation of materials has been accompanied by similarly profound developments in governance including:
- traditional regulatory approaches to waste management have been supplemented by voluntary measures, especially via standards;
- the site of much governing activity has shifted upwards from London to Brussels and downwards to the devolved nations with a consequent increase in policy variation;
- local authority waste management operations are joined by social enterprises and waste companies in delivering waste and resources management policy; and
- policy itself, under the umbrella of the Circular Economy (CE) principles, is demanding more holistic, integrated approaches and a multi-scalar organisation of material supply chains.
Whilst never settled or secure, these complex arrangements for governing materials have faced major uncertainties since Brexit. In an increasingly fluid picture of materials governance, there are major uncertainties in knowing where things are physically circulating - this presents problems in assessing performance and change.
Secondly, I research public participation in the planning system, specifically when communities opt to undertake citizen science or 'community science' in defiance of a development. Meaningful public participation, as a key part of effective waste governance, is supposed to help avoid unsustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes at local, regional and global levels.
However, many of the newer, more sustainable waste projects - often involving advanced clean technologies - are sited near to relatively deprived communities. These places typically have long histories of environmental degradation from past and present polluting industrial activity. Deep concerns exist with some community members, local politicians and NGOs about the cumulative impact on the environmental health of such additional industrial activity. This place-specific context, involving issues of expertise and 'epistemic injustice' (Fricker, 2007), also feeds public distrust with the regulator, local government bodies and developer/operators.
Teaching
My current teaching contributions focus on planning, human geography, methods and sustainable environmental governance:
- CP0149 - Key Issues in Urban Planning
- CP0273 - Developing Research Methods
- CP0354 - Planning Placement Students
- CP0375 - Climate Change and Environmental Governance
- CPT831 - Live Project (for planners on placement)
- CPT855 - Environmental Policy & Climate Change
- CPT878 - Planning for Sustainability
In the past, I have contributed to:
- CP0144 - Urban Economies
- CP0148 - Making Knowledge
- CPT826 - Environmental Management
- CPT885 - Governance of the Eco-city Development Process
- CPT893 - Researching Urban & Regional Development
Biography
Education and qualifications
- 2017: PhD Sustainability, Cardiff University
- 2010: MSc Sustainability, Planning & Environmental Policy, Cardiff University
- 1990: BA (Hons) Geography, University of Manchester
Professional memberships
- The European Association for the Study of Science and Technology
- The Circular Economy Research and Innovation Group Wales (Welsh Government and Swansea University)
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Member of the Environment Research Group
- Member of the Spatial Planning and Analysis in City Environments Group
Academic positions
- 2023-present: Staff Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University
- 2021-2023: Contract Research Associate, WISERD Research Centre, Cardiff University
- 2018-2021: Contract Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University
- 2016-2018: Contract Research Associate, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University
- 2013-2013: Research Assistant, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University
- 2010-2013: Research Assistant, Low Carbon Research Institute, Cardiff University
Speaking engagements
- May 2026 - Online Presentation about Citizen Science to LPIP Network
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- circular economy
- Waste management, reduction, reuse and recycling
- Public participation and community engagement
- environmental governance
- citizen science