Global Urban Research Unit
Encyclopedia
Global Urban Research Unit (GURU) is a research centre established in 2002 at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, England
.
CREUE—The Centre for Research
in Europe
an Urban Environments. One of Europe's largest and most innovative urban research centres, CREUE, since 1993, pioneered institutional analyses of urban planning
, development
, governance
, and planning theory
. It has developed nuanced analyses of the practices surrounding social polarisation and exclusion and community and housing development. And it has integrated urban design
, conservation issues and transport planning thoroughly into wider urban debates.
CARDO - The Centre for Architectural Research and Development Overseas. A leading and long-established centre exploring the links between housing, architecture, and social and economic development in the Global South. CARDO has developed different approaches to the study of the home, household enterprises, and community development and has fast-developing expertise on the social aspects of mega-urbanisation.
CUT – The Centre for Urban Technology. An innovative and cross-disciplinary centre, CUT has, since 1994, pioneered research into the complex intersections of technologies, infrastructures and urban development. CUT has pioneered the 'socio-technical’ view of cities emphasising flow, the material bases of mobility, and the social construction of buildings and infrastructures. It has started to use this perspective to address the analytical challenges of global urbanism and urban environmental sustainability in a wide range of contexts.
Harnessing the combined capabilities of these three Centres, GURU emerges as a globally significant organisation at the leading edge of contemporary thinking and research about cities. GURU’s work is organised into smaller overlapping research groups, forming a loose matrix within the overall Group so that interactions within and across thematic groups is developed to the maximum possible extent.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The formation
GURU was formed through the merger of three successful urban research centres, providing an effective force in global urban research. The centre incorporates:CREUE—The Centre for Research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Urban Environments. One of Europe's largest and most innovative urban research centres, CREUE, since 1993, pioneered institutional analyses of urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, development
Development studies
Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...
, governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
, and planning theory
Planning Theory
Planning Theory is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of planning and development. The journal's editor-in-Chief is Michael Gunder...
. It has developed nuanced analyses of the practices surrounding social polarisation and exclusion and community and housing development. And it has integrated urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
, conservation issues and transport planning thoroughly into wider urban debates.
CARDO - The Centre for Architectural Research and Development Overseas. A leading and long-established centre exploring the links between housing, architecture, and social and economic development in the Global South. CARDO has developed different approaches to the study of the home, household enterprises, and community development and has fast-developing expertise on the social aspects of mega-urbanisation.
CUT – The Centre for Urban Technology. An innovative and cross-disciplinary centre, CUT has, since 1994, pioneered research into the complex intersections of technologies, infrastructures and urban development. CUT has pioneered the 'socio-technical’ view of cities emphasising flow, the material bases of mobility, and the social construction of buildings and infrastructures. It has started to use this perspective to address the analytical challenges of global urbanism and urban environmental sustainability in a wide range of contexts.
Harnessing the combined capabilities of these three Centres, GURU emerges as a globally significant organisation at the leading edge of contemporary thinking and research about cities. GURU’s work is organised into smaller overlapping research groups, forming a loose matrix within the overall Group so that interactions within and across thematic groups is developed to the maximum possible extent.
List of (GURU) directors
- Stuart CameronStuart CameronStuart Cameron is Senior Lecturer at School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. He has been the first Director of Global Urban Research Unit....
(2002–04) - Jean HillierJean HillierJean Hillier is Professor of Town and Country Planning at , Newcastle University.- Research interests :Her main research interest lies in extending the frontiers of planning theories which are praxis-based and in discursive and relational analyses of participatory planning strategies...
(2005–06) - Geoff VigarGeoff VigarGeoff Vigar is Senior Lecturer at , Newcastle University. Currently he is the Director of Global Urban Research Unit at the university.-Research interests :...
(2006–present)
Scholars attached to the unit
- Stuart CameronStuart CameronStuart Cameron is Senior Lecturer at School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. He has been the first Director of Global Urban Research Unit....
- Simin DavoudiSimin DavoudiSimin Davoudi is Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning at Newcastle University. She is Past President of the Association of European Schools of Planning and, as coordinator of the Planning Research Network, advised the Department of Communities and Local Government on its research...
- Patsy HealeyPatsy HealeyPatsy Healey is a British urban planner. She is professor emeritus at Global Urban Research Unit in the School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape], at Newcastle University. She is a specialist in planning theory and practice, with a particular focus on strategic spatial planning for city...
- Ali Madanipur
- Frank MoulaertFrank MoulaertFrank Moulaert is Professor of Spatial Planning at the Department of Architecture, Urban Design and Regional Planning at Catholic University of Leuven. He is Director of the Urban and Regional Planning Research Group and chairs the Leuven Space and Society Research Centre at the University...
- Steve Graham
- John Pendlebury
- Mark Shuksmith
- Geoff VigarGeoff VigarGeoff Vigar is Senior Lecturer at , Newcastle University. Currently he is the Director of Global Urban Research Unit at the university.-Research interests :...