Core Study

This comprehensive study focuses on knowledge processes that determine progress towards a sustainable urban environment. It aims to support an integrated approach to the creation, identification, accessing, transfer, mapping and the exploitation of sustainability knowledge in bringing about change by the provision of tools, protocols, guidelines, benchmark indicators and training. The project will also take forward and extend the methodology of knowledge mapping devised in the Scoping study (EPSRC Scoping Study on Knowledge Mapping: 2003 - 2004), which was primarily based on glass recycling. It will test this knowledge mapping methodology in different contexts associated with sustainability, and then develop robust knowledge mapping methodology (s) for sustainability. In addition it will address a wide range of knowledge processes that are central to the consideration of a sustainable environment. The key areas of exploration and outputs to accrue from the proposed study are, inter alia, the systematic identification of mechanisms and processes that facilitates knowledge sharing between specialisms, and joined-up decision-making by managers and policy-makers; a protocol (tool) to present specialist technical evidence to decision-makers in an accessible way that accounts for risk and uncertain futures; evaluation of the level of effectiveness in the sharing and transfer of sustainability knowledge in supply chains. The study will produce requisite route maps and capability (process) maps on sustainability knowledge for construction practices and develop a web-based tool which will act as a repository of information and ideas on sustainability for construction practices. This web-based too will also be useful for the promotion of sustainability issues in construction. Further, the study will investigate and develop robust methodologies/approaches that would allow the capture of best practices/ lessons learned associated with the sharing and exploitation of sustainability knowledge to be transferred across industrial sectors. This would lead to the development of appropriate benchmarks that would allow industrial sectors and organisations to assess how well they are doing with regard to the sharing, transfer and exploitation of sustainability knowledge leading to effective change. Appropriate training materials for increasing awareness of the role of sustainability knowledge on innovations will be produced. By involving all relevant key players, producers and users of sustainability knowledge in the proposed study, the outputs will have real impact in bringing sustainability knowledge on environmental, economic and social concerns into widespread use and exploitation.

Objectives

• To identify the key challenges and opportunities associated with the production (creation and generation), sharing and transfer of sustainability knowledge that brings about effective change; addressing key boundary issues associated with specialist knowledge
• To investigate and evaluate practices employed for the sharing, transfer and exploitation of sustainability knowledge across industrial sectors; develop appropriate benchmarks across industries as a means of improving and sustaining good & best practices; and develop robust methodologies/approaches that would allow for effective transfer of best practices/ lessons learned across industrial sectors
• To identify and document the key impacts (including benefits) of accumulated sustainability knowledge on innovations (process and product) associated with urban sustainability
• To evaluate the efficacy of different techniques for mapping sustainability knowledge; develop and test robust methodology(ies) for mapping sustainability knowledge that are relevant to differing contexts
• Develop guidance on the use of knowledge maps and the effectiveness of employing knowledge maps in differing contexts of sustainability, and protocols for handling different forms of knowledge
• Develop and test appropriate training material (s) for the purpose of increasing awareness of the role of sustainability knowledge on innovations for the benefits of producers and user of sustainability knowledge
• To disseminate study outputs widely (nationally and internationally) so as to have real impact in bringing sustainability knowledge on environmental, economic and social concerns into widespread use and exploitation.

Full proposals

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