Place-based approaches in transdisciplinary research (EN)

Place-based approaches in transdisciplinary research organize research around the specific characteristics, needs, and challenges of a particular place rather than around abstract theoretical problems. In transdisciplinary research on urban sustainability, this means that researchers collaborate with local stakeholders such as communities, governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and citizens to co-produce knowledge that is grounded in the social, cultural, ecological, economic, and political realities of urban places.

Besides situated knowledge, such approaches emphasize experimentation in real-world settings and long-term collaboration between researchers and local stakeholders. Inevitably, place-based approaches produce “engaged knowledge” that is embedded in political processes and power relations.

Urban places are shaped by competing interests and perspectives, while dominant actors often influence urban transformation processes in ways that may exclude vulnerable groups. As a result, place-based transdisciplinary research raises important questions about inclusion, empowerment, responsibility, and the role of researchers in processes of societal change.

This seminar explores how researchers can engage critically and constructively in the political dimensions of urban sustainability transformations. How do we take responsibility for the knowledge we produce and the impacts we generate? How can researchers build meaningful and reciprocal relationships with local stakeholders? And how can such partnerships be sustained over time? 

This seminar is part of the doctoral school Building Capacity in Transdisciplinary Research for Urban Sustainability Transformations, but can also be followed as an individual session.

Program

We warmly invite you to attend the lecture, followed by lunch and discussion. You’re welcome to join for the full program or for the lecture alone

12:00-13:00

• Introduction by the Stadsacademie (Prof. Michiel Dehaene)   

• Lecture by prof. Roberta Sonnino  

• Q&A  
  

13:00-13:30

• Lunch    
  

13:30-16:00

• Research seminar moderated by  prof. Roberta Sonnino 

Biography of the speaker

Roberta Sonnino is a respected global expert on sustainable food systems. Prior to joining Surrey in 2022, Roberta spent 19 years at Cardiff University, where she directed a Research Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Food in the School of Geography and Planning.

Her research focuses on sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on governance. Working across the science-policy interface, she has acted as an advisor to many different bodies and organisations, including FAO and the European Commission. Roberta has an established track record of creating impact and engagement at the interface of food systems research and policy.

In 2017-18, she was Vice-Chair ofthe FOOD2030 Expert Group, which led the development of four priority areas of the FOOD 2030 European research framework: nutrition and healthy diets; climate and environment; circularity and resource efficiency; and innovation and empowerment of communities.

One year later, she was invited by UN FAO to assemble and lead a research team tasked with drafting their first Framework for the Urban Food Agenda. More recently, she was invited to act as Rapporteur of the High-Level Expert Group assembled by the European Commission to explore ways to improve food systems governancethrough more effective science-policy-society-interfaces.

Roberta has produced more than 100 publications including the peer-reviewed article “Food system transformation: a progressive place-based approach” (Sonnino and Milbourne, 2022).