Dr James Bishop

I am an academic at London South Bank University with a background in the built environment, knowledge management and applied community-based research. My recent work explores how housing, planning, net zero policy and environmental change affect people’s health, wellbeing and everyday lives.

I am particularly interested in research that helps local authorities and communities work together on complex public challenges. This includes energy use in the home, fuel poverty, mould and condensation in housing, healthy place-making, and the role of planning in reducing health inequalities. A strong theme across my work is the use of inclusive engagement methods, such as the “World Café” approach, to create research spaces where residents, tenants, young people, practitioners and decision-makers can share experiences and develop practical solutions.

My recent projects include Local Government Association “Net Zero Innovation Programme” initiatives with Luton Borough Council, exploring young people’s views on energy use, climate action and net zero. This work helped to develop a tailored World Café guide for local authorities and an Energy Toolkit to support conversations about energy use among young people and families. I have also recently worked with Dacorum Borough Council and St Albans City and District Council on condensation and mould in social housing, supporting evidence-based guidance and tenant engagement around this important issue.

I was one of the lead research academics for the recently-completed NIHR-funded PHIRST Southbank evaluation of public health engagement with planning teams across Milton Keynes, Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire councils. I am also currently one of the lead academics for an ongoing NIHR-funded PHIRST Southbank evaluation project on the use of Health Impact Assessments in spatial planning across Wakefield and Doncaster.

My wider publications include work on the World Café method, cross-disciplinary collaboration for sustainable futures, overheating in educational buildings, and knowledge management in construction and engineering contexts.