Environment, Place and Rural Systems

Environment, Place and Rural Systems explores the relationships between people, landscapes and environmental change, with particular strengths in rural, regional and community-based research. The theme examines how social, economic and environmental pressures shape places and livelihoods, addressing challenges around sustainability, food systems, environmental governance, migration, rural development and community resilience. Researchers investigate topics including landscape change, environmental justice, decolonisation, community participation, the impacts of superdiversity and migration, and the role of citizen science in shaping sustainable futures. Through interdisciplinary approaches that combine natural and social science perspectives, the theme informs policy and practice aimed at creating more resilient, equitable and environmentally sustainable communities. The theme hosts the Leverhulme-funded Sustainable Rural Futures (SURF) Doctoral Landscape Award, a major interdisciplinary doctoral training programme that supports the next generation of researchers working on the future sustainability and resilience of rural environments, societies and economies.