Funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), the Urban Heat project (2015-2017) examined the potential role of the local voluntary and community sector (VCS) in the development of local community resilience.
The Urban Heat project relied on participatory workshops with local community groups, relationship building with local policy actors, and bringing community groups and local policy actors together in workshops.
Resources:
Read the full Final Report here.
Read the Executive Summary here.
Full bibliography.
Independent evaluation by Resources for Change.
What is community resilience?
The final report from the Urban Heat project provides:
- A compelling, evidence-based analysis of the untapped potential of the VCS to contribute more fully to local planning and practice in climate resilience and emergency planning;
- A snapshot of the UK ‘heatwave planning’ and ‘community resilience’ national, regional and local policy and practice landscapes;
- A critical analysis of the current challenges in these landscapes, most importantly: the national policy disconnect between the heatwave planning and community resilience policy domains; a relatively narrow framing of ‘community’ in national community resilience approaches, which tends to underplay the potential of the VCS; a vision of ‘community resilience’ that is over-reliant on the characteristics of floods; and, a worrying lack of attention to long-term spatial planning and adaptation to manage the impacts of climate change across these policy landscapes;
- An analysis of the ways in which these national challenges are reflected in local practice;
- Recommendations for change that respond directly to these challenges (including a novel proposed description of community resilience for use in policy and practice);
- A comprehensive description and critical analysis of the features of the participatory action research, with a focus on what ‘worked’ and what did not;
- Meaningful evidence of the value to policy stakeholders of participatory, action-based and community-based approaches, and reflections on the ways in which the benefits of such approaches might be better appreciated in policy domains.
Comments from policy stakeholders
The ability of Dr Burchell to conduct policy engagement and contribute to policy in this wide variety of ways is highly valued. Director of Extreme Events team (now former), Public Health England.
The value of Dr Burchell’s practical approach to the research was evident, providing real life impact, both for the communities and the local and national policy partners. Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Cabinet Office.
Dr Burchell’s recommendations are highly practical and actionable, and they are made within the context of an in-depth understanding of our policy contexts and objectives. Head of Smart Meter Engagement team, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Transitioning from research to evidence, to policy and delivery is so important, and Dr Burchell’s project demonstrates how this can occur. I particularly like the engagement with local people and starting to understand how local people respond. It’s really refreshing to get direct feedback from communities. Greater London Authority.
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