The Bartlett Heartland, Hinterland and Resource Nexus Network

The world is rapidly becoming more and more urbanized, with more than 50% of the population living in cities worldwide, making it apparent that cities are a focal point of present-day problems. To understand the impact on overpopulated cities, we should understand the whole system, analyse both urban and rural areas and their related problems.

The lifestyles in cities and rural areas are very intensive in regards to the consumption of energy, materials and resources, in different ways and percentages. Depending on experts’ and academics’ backgrounds, they all see existing and future problems from a different point of view, and might even observe problems that others did not.

This network aims to offer the points of view of all the different institutes of BSEER in various current aspects within their fields of expertise within an overall built environment framework, and to contribute by suggesting methodologies and ways of thinking in better plans and strategies.

As the literal sense of the words heartland and hinterland suggest, we will focus on the use of resources (energy, water, food, land) at different scale from global to local, from urban areas to remote areas of a given country. As the metaphorical sense of the same words suggest, we are aiming to provide aspects of the centre of beliefs and movements, but also hopefully roam at areas that lie beyond what is visible or known.

The network will be more dedicated towards:

• Exploring challenges and the complexity in the field of urban and rural data and modelling
• Presenting quantitative and qualitative methods and techniques used
• Promoting sharing of knowledge and methods
• Identifying synergies between different kinds of research
• Exploring mapping and visualization
• Analyzing energy systems
• Discussing and suggesting policy applications
• Stimulating diversity of themes and issues (energy, resources, transportation, heritage, etc.)

Aims

Data and modelling provide opportunities to explore the concepts of informality, and its utility to researchers involved in diverse themes, issues and geographies. The series of events will revolve around a number of topics, from resource management on a global scale, all the way down to how climate change affects buildings and vulnerable individuals. Equally, the focus varies from modelling methods and data issues down to policies and socio-cultural issues.

The ultimate goal is to raise awareness of issues and methods that could help researchers in their work and also to possibly engage in collaborations. Also, the network aims to collate and distribute information about the handling of data and modelling across different parts of the Bartlett and wider UCL.

We encourage the participation of staff and PhD students in the first place, but also welcome the participation of industry representatives that find the exploration of such issues of interest. If you are conducting research in this area or you have an interest and if you would like to join the network please contact us.

People

By now, a number of academics and researchers from different parts of the Bartlett have joined the network, which is represented by PhD students, academics and research staff form the following departments: The UCL Energy institute, ISR, CASA, Development Planning Unit, School of Construction and Project Management, CEGE, IEDE, School of Planning and SECRET are currently being represented .

If you are conducting research in one of the fields mentioned above and would like to join the network please contact us. 

Team

• Dr Catalina Spataru, UCL Energy Institute | Network Lead
• Theo Semertzidis, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources | Network Coordinator
• Rochelle Schneider dos Santos, UCL Institute for Environmental Design & Engineering | Network Ambassador
• Dimitra Kizlari UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage| Network Ambassador

Participants of the Doctorate Network within The Bartlett 

Participants of the QUANTUM Doctorate Network outside The Bartlett, but within UCL

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