ResearchPod

Heating and cooling our homes, workplaces and public spaces is a source of constant effort, and expense. What can new technologies offer to help hold warmth, or aid air circulation? What if one solution could do both?

Dr Miren Juaristi Gutierrez from Eurac Research in Bolzano, Italy, joins us to discuss innovative architectural features that could save energy, money, and carbon in future designs.

Find more at : https://zeraf-technology.eu/ 

What impact does artificial intelligence have on the evolution of consciousness, and could it mark the beginning of a new form of awareness beyond the human?

Stefan Brunnhuber of the World Academy of Art and Science explores how AI, as a transformative technology, reshapes not only society but the filters through which we perceive modern life — bridging biology, cognition, and cosmic consciousness.

Visit the World Academy of Art and Science website: worldacademy.org

Read more: amazon.co.uk/Stefan-Brunnhuber

Space is a key feature of social life. But does the digitalisation of society affect its spatial dimensions, and if so, how? 

In this podcast, Leverhulme Visiting Professor Theodore Schatzki discusses his work exploring digitality, different types of space and notions of virtual realities, such as cyber space.

With Dale Southerton and Leverhulme Visiting Professor Theordore Schatzki.

This podcast is brought to you by the Centre for Sociodigital Futures – a flagship research centre, funded by the ESRC and led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with 12 other Universities in the UK and globally.  The support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is gratefully acknowledged.

Economic forecasting is particularly challenging during global crises, with predictions often hampered by uncertainty and external factors.

Hwee Kwan Chow and Keen Meng Choy from Singapore Management University examine Singapore’s GDP and inflation forecasts during the Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, uncovering the influence of government projections and herding behaviour that affect prediction accuracy.

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1007/s00181-022-02311-8

The fifth and final TRUUD podcast explores the future of urban development and the necessary investments for creating healthier places. Host Andrew Kelly with experts Daniel Black, TRUUD Research Co-Director and Thomas Aubrey, Credit Capital Advisory, discuss the issue of short-termism in planning and the importance of long-term vision, drawing parallels with historical and European examples. 

They highlight the need for integrated planning that includes transport, green spaces, and social infrastructure alongside housing. The conversation examines methods for measuring the impact of urban development on health and the economy, introducing the HAUS model from TRUUD. Financing models, including land value capture, are considered crucial for delivering sustainable and high-quality urban environments. 

The podcast also touches on the significance of leadership, devolution, and community involvement in achieving these goals.

Funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership which aims to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, type-2 diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illnesses, TRUUD is providing evidence and tools for policy-makers in government and industry.

Find more at the TRUUD website: https://truud.ac.uk/ 

Books recommended in the episode

Daniel Black:

The Death of Rural England by Alan Hawkins 

Small Is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher 

How Institutions Think by Mary Douglas 

Thomas Aubrey:

Good Cities, Better Lives: How Europe Discovered the Lost Art of Urbanism by Peter Hall, with contributions from Nicholas Falk.

Andrew Kelly:

The film They Came to a City (1944) directed by Basil Dearden and adapted from a play by J.B. Priestley. Available on BFI Player.

Music credit: New York London Tokyo by Petrenj Music

Produced by Beeston Media.

The fourth podcast episode from the TRUUD programme explores public engagement in shaping healthier urban environments. Hosted by Andrew Kelly in conversation with Dr Andy Gibson, University of the West of England and Dr Miriam Khan, GP and member of the TRUUD Public Advisory Board, they explore the importance of involving communities and listening to their lived experiences in policy creation. 

They examine methods for effective engagement, such as deliberative approaches and the use of visual aids, highlighting challenges and successes in projects like low traffic neighbourhoods. The guests also recommend books that underscore the principles of people-centred urban development and the accessibility of scientific information.

Funded by the  UK Prevention Research Partnership which aims to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, type-2 diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illnesses, TRUUD is providing evidence and tools for policy-makers in government and industry.

Find more at the TRUUD website: https://truud.ac.uk/

Books recommended in the episode

Dr Miriam Khan

Happy Cities by Charles Montgomery

Dr Andy Gibson

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

Andrew Kelly

The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

Music credit: New York London Tokyo by Petrenj Music

Produced by Beeston Media.

The third podcast episode from TRUUD explores the complexity of achieving long-term, lasting change within urban development to foster healthier lives. Host Andres Kelly discusses with Dr Krista Bondy, University of Stirling, and Dr Neil Carhart, University of Bristol, how current systems struggle to address interconnected challenges, often leaving practitioners feeling powerless. 

The conversation emphasises the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach and systems thinking to understand the various influencing factors and overcome short-term perspectives. 

This episode investigates how to create interventions that are sustainable and prioritise health and equity for current and future generations, suggesting a need to reconsider societal values and decision-making processes.

Funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership which aims to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, type-2 diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illnesses, TRUUD is providing evidence and tools for policy-makers in government and industry.

Find more at the TRUUD website: https://truud.ac.uk/

Recommended reading from episode

Krista Bondy:

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal

Justice and the Politics of Indifference by Iris Marion Young

Neil Carhart:

Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows

Andrew Kelly:

The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short Term World by Roman Krznaric

Music credit: New York London Tokyo by Petrenj Music

Produced by Beeston Media.

The second podcast in the series from the TRUUD research programme explores the challenges of translating urban health research into effective government policy and action. 

Host Andrew Kelly is in conversation with Professor Sarah Ayres, University of Bristol, and Dr Geoff Bates, University of Bath, about their work on the TRUUD project, specifically examining how to make government take notice of evidence and implement long-term preventative strategies. They discuss the Health Appraisal of Urban Systems model for understanding the costs of unhealthy urban environments, the importance of cross-departmental collaboration, and the potential of devolution and a focus on wellbeing economies. 

The conversation also reflects on the impact of COVID-19 and concludes with an optimistic outlook on achieving meaningful change through sustained engagement with civil servants.”

Funded by the UK Prevention Research Partnership which aims to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, type-2 diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illnesses, TRUUD is providing evidence and tools for policy-makers in government and industry.

Find more at the TRUUD website: https://truud.ac.uk/

Books recommended in the episode:

Sarah Ayres:

Managing Complex Networks by Walter Kickert, Erik Hans Klijn, Joop Koppenjan

Managing Uncertainty in Networks by Joop Koppenjan

Geoff Bates:

Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Samuel Wilson Fussell

Andrew Kelly:

The Child in the City by Colin Ward

Other recommended resources:

About The Green Book from HM Treasury to appraise policies, programmes and projects.

Music credit: New York London Tokyo by Petrenj Music

Produced by Beeston Media.

The first podcast for the TRUUD (Tackling the Root Causes Upstream of Unhealthy Urban Development) research programme explores how we value health and the opportunities to shape urban environments for healthier lives. 

Host Andrew Kelly interviews Daniel Black, TRUUD Research Co-Director and Professor Jim McManus, Public Health Wales, about the TRUUD programme, which examines the interplay between property, transport systems, and public health, aiming to reduce non-communicable diseases and health inequalities through preventative measures. 

Discussions cover the definition of upstream determinants of health, the barriers to implementing preventative public health policies, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration and assigning value to health outcomes. Examples of successful initiatives in Wales and inspiration from other countries are highlighted, along with book recommendations for further learning.
 
Funded by the UK which aims to reduce non-communicable diseases such as cancers, type-2 diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illnesses, TRUUD is providing evidence and tools for policy-makers in government and industry.
 
Six partner universities bring expertise and skills from public health, law, psychology, management, systems engineering, environmental and health economics, real estate, planning, urban development, policy and public involvement disciplines to the £10m programme with several industry, public and third sector partners.

Find more at the TRUUD website: https://truud.ac.uk/

Music credit: New York London Tokyo by Petrenj Music

Produced by Beeston Media.

Crowd management is key to evacuation safety. Yet, evacuation simulation programmes often lack experimental verification due to the inadequacy of benchmarks with real-world experiments.

Ilias Panagiotopoulus, Jens Starke, and Wolfram Just from the University of Rostock, Germany, have developed a model-free approach to analyse field experiments. This innovative method provides quantitative benchmarks and extends our understanding of crowd dynamics.

Read more in Research Features

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043190