Podcast Episode 12
A systems perspective, policy and planning with Dr Robert Newell
A systems perspective, policy and planning with Dr Robert Newell
In this episode of What the f*** is biodiversity, Ann talks with Rob about the concepts of systems thinking and co-benefits, integrative planning, and the nexus between biodiversity, climate change and human health.
About Dr Robert Newell
Dr. Robert Newell is the Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley and an adjunct faculty in the School of Environment and Sustainability, Royal Roads University. He has a PhD in Geography, and he is an Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. He previously worked in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University, where he did research and taught courses on critical sustainability issues (particularly climate change and biodiversity loss) and approaches to sustainable community development. Newell’s research focuses on integrated planning, and he explores the use of systems thinking, models, and visualizations as tools for supporting local planning and decision-making.
Much of his work has specifically looked at community climate action in an integrated planning context, and he has explored a number of different analyses and techniques for supporting local climate action efforts, such as decomposition analysis and mapping climate action co-benefits. Newell develops tools for facilitating more inclusive, collaborative approaches to planning, and his research also involves using game development software to build realistic visualizations for participatory planning and community engagement.
About Dr Robert Newell
Dr. Robert Newell is the Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley and an adjunct faculty in the School of Environment and Sustainability, Royal Roads University. He has a PhD in Geography, and he is an Associate Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley. He previously worked in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University, where he did research and taught courses on critical sustainability issues (particularly climate change and biodiversity loss) and approaches to sustainable community development. Newell’s research focuses on integrated planning, and he explores the use of systems thinking, models, and visualizations as tools for supporting local planning and decision-making.
Much of his work has specifically looked at community climate action in an integrated planning context, and he has explored a number of different analyses and techniques for supporting local climate action efforts, such as decomposition analysis and mapping climate action co-benefits. Newell develops tools for facilitating more inclusive, collaborative approaches to planning, and his research also involves using game development software to build realistic visualizations for participatory planning and community engagement.
Episode Notes
FIND ROB ONLINE
- Places, Spaces and Possibilities Research Project
- Sidney Spit Interactive Visualization Research Project
- Academic Publications, Research Gate
- University of the Fraser Valley Food and Agriculture Institute
- What are nature-full cities?, NET Blog
- Climate change and sustainability strategies can also benefit biodiversity, NET Blog
EPISODE PUBLICATIONS REFERENCES
- Communicating complexity: interactive model explorers and immersive visualizations as tools for local planning and community engagement, Facets
- Hydroponic fodder and greenhouse gas emissions: a potential avenue for climate mitigation strategy and policy development, Facets
- Source sector and fuel contributions to ambient PM2.5 and attributable mortality across multiple spatial scales, Nature Communications
- Ecological Design Lab
- Wildlife Crossing Database Platform: Description of the tool and summary of researcher/practitioner feedback, Research Gate
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM – WATER, ENERGY, FOOD NEXUS
CO-BENEFITS
- Co-Benefits of Climate Action models and map, Changing the Conversation
- Climate Action Co-Benefits, CRC Research Video
- Climate action co-benefits and integrated community planning: Uncovering the synergies and trade-offs, Research Gate
PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
- Using visualization techniques for enhancing public participation in planning and design: process, implementation, and evaluation (Study in Pilsen, Illinois), Science Direct
- From the ground up: Using structured community engagement to identify objectives for urban green infrastructure planning, Science Direct
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
- What are nature-based solutions?, Nature-Based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford
- Natural Climate Solutions
- How nature can save us from climate breakdown, Natural Climate Solutions Video
- Nature-based climate solutions summit
- The Magic of Seaweed: How kelp forests enhance biodiversity and fight climate change, NET Blog
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
SPATIAL JUSTICE
- What is Spatial Justice?, CRC Research video
- Dr. Julian Agyeman, Website
- If we achieve a green world that is still socially unjust, is that sustainable?, University of Waterloo
BIODIVERSITY AND MEDICINE
- The tree that could help stop the pandemic, The Atlantic
- The Quest for QS-21, John Innes Centre
- What is Novavax, Australia’s third COVID vaccine option?, University of Sydney
- The magic of plants and fungi: 5 species that impacted human medicine, NET Blog
ONE HEALTH CONCEPT
- One World, One Health, Canadian Public Health Association
- One Health Basics, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
- Ecological Distancing? Safeguarding Biodiversity and Human Health, NET Blog