DPU PhD student Kerry Bobbins selected as outstanding Green Talents alumna

The Green Talents Programme aims to promote the international exchange of knowledge on sustainable development by acknowledging young researchers and their efforts toward making societies more sustainable.

Kerry was selected to attend the Networking Conference this year in follow up to her Green Talents award in 2014 where she attended the annual Green Talents Forum and undertook a research stay at the German Institute for Urban Affairs (Difu) in 2015. As part of her application to attend the conference, Kerry described her PhD research project at Development Planning Unit and how her research findings offer insights for informing policy on environment and infrastructure in the city, including shifts to more sustainable urban infrastructure.

The Green Talents Networking Conference has been organised this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Green Talents programme. The conference aims to support knowledge sharing by creating a space for Green Talents and leading German sustainability experts to meet and present on their research. To support networking among participants, the conference is arranged into a series of knowledge sharing platforms including lighthouse projects, elevator pitches and science slams. Kerry will use one of these platforms to present on her PhD research project at Development Planning Unit. As part of the conference Kerry will also be paired up with a German expert of her choice to discuss topics related to her PhD project and approach to sustainability.

Kerry’s PhD project at Development Planning Unit aims to describe the understanding and use of green infrastructure concepts in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kerry investigates how histories, actors and the local context shape the way policy concepts are translated and used in practice. This includes a framing of the use of green infrastructure concepts at the city and project level. Knowledge generated from her project will contribute toward understanding the way environmental concepts gain meaning in cities through planning and management processes. As mentioned above, the findings of her PhD research will contribute knowledge on urban policy for supporting the development of sustainable urban infrastructure in future.   

Photo credit: Ricardo Muendane