Urban wasteland being revamped with greenery

GALLANT - Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation

Delivering a Climate Resilient City through City-University Partnership

The GALLANT Project

GALLANT will use Glasgow as a living lab to trial new sustainable solutions throughout the city. GALLANT takes a whole-systems approach. While addressing the city’s key environmental challenges, the programme will consider the co-benefits and trade-offs for public health, wellbeing, and the economy. GALLANT aims to deliver the social priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals while remaining within the planetary boundaries of a 1.5°C world using doughnut economics as a framework. 

Logos: GALLANT, UofG, Glasgow City Council and NERC

The five solutions of GALLANT's work in Glasgow are to:

  • Address flood risk.
  • Halt biodiversity loss.
  • Regenerate derelict and polluted land.
  • Promote active travel and inclusive mobility.
  • Implement sustainable energy.

The GALLANT Story

The University of Glasgow, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, are working on a £10.5 million research programme: GALLANT - Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation. Funded by UKRI NERC as part of their Changing the Environment investment, University researchers are helping the city move towards climate resilience whilst tackling health, social and economic inequalities.

GALLANT started on 31st January 2022 under the leadership of Centre for Sustainable Solutions Director, Professor Jaime L. Toney, and in collaboration with 29 key programme partners from a variety of public bodies, community groups and businesses. The University of Glasgow team will build on existing inter-disciplinary academic collaborations, and develop new ones, as well as new ways of working to suit these urgent challenges, with over 50 researchers from across our Schools, Colleges, and Institutes, and ten exciting PhD projects.

 

Professor Toney says:

"Together we aim not only to bring nature back into the city system, but make meaningful, lasting change that embeds sustainability across major policy decisions and empowers communities as stewards of their local places. GALLANT will work with local partners and communities to transform the city into a thriving place for people and nature. GALLANT will help Glasgow achieve its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and accelerate its path to climate resilience."

The aim of this research partnership is to boost Glasgow's transition to climate resilience through:

  • Designing, implementing and testing a translatable whole-system approach to urban environmental and wellbeing challenges to deliver the social priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while remaining within the ecological ceiling defined by the planetary boundaries of a 1.5C world; and
  • Working with our partners and local communities to co-produce and deliver five interdependent, mutually reinforcing environmental solutions for climate resilience that build capacity for ongoing innovation in the Glasgow living lab.

The five solutions are:

  1. To address flood risk related to tidal changessea level rise, and increased water from extreme weather events. GALLANT aims to transform land use along the River Clyde by identifying sites for urban corridor parks for flood water storage, while also improving areas along the Clyde for wildlife and people.
  2. To halt biodiversity loss by restoring and connecting currently isolated habitat patches. GALLANT will improve biodiversity by restoring and connecting habitats across Glasgow. Citizens will play a key role in helping researchers to map important bird and mammal species that lead to new management practices in greenspaces to increase connectivity between habitats. 
  3. To trial new ways of regenerating derelict and polluted land through technology that mineralises greenhouse gases and traps organic pollutants into building materials for the future, as well as returning these sites for community use and ecologically functional places.
  4. To enhance the connectivity that is important not only for nature, but for active travel and inclusive mobility. GALLANT will work with communities to increase active travel including cycling, wheeling and walking to reduce car journeys, improve air quality and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 
  5. To tackle sustainable energy as a key challenge to achieving net zero carbon. GALLANT will develop sustainable low carbon energy solutions at the community scale that empower local people as active energy citizens to co-create clean energy demand.

Through our living lab approach we will learn how to create solutions that are place-based and meaningful to local people. Our global network of partners enables us to exchange our learning and solutions with both academics and policy leaders across the world. This is an exciting opportunity for Glasgow to lead and carry on the legacy from COP26. 

The "Changing the Environment" Programme

Changing the Environment

GALLANT is one of four projects across the UK funded by a National Environmental Research Council (NERC) initiative called "Changing the Environment". This initiative aims to stimulate and build a critical mass and research community that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, applying a whole systems approach to solve complex environmental challenges.

The strength of research and innovation capability in the UK should put our communities in a leading position not just to articulate environmental problems, but to devise and propose whole system solutions. These solutions rely on a diverse range of expertise across academic disciplines including but not limited to physical and biological sciences, social sciences, medical sciences, engineering, law, business and economics. This requires a step change in the way that academic communities work.

As well as working on our own objectives, GALLANT will also collaborate with the three other funded institutions in the Changing the Environment initiative to collectively communicate our findings and create joint policy briefs.

The other "Changing the Enviornment" Projects

As well as GALLANT, NERC also funds:

  • The Centre for Landscape Regeneration (University of Cambridge) who aim to provide knowledge and tools to regenerate the British countryside using cost-effective Nature-based Solutions that provide broad societal benefits including biodiversity recovery as well as climate mitigation and adaptation.
  • AGILE (University of Oxford) which is building capacity within the University of Oxford to rapidly bring together interdisciplinary research, and identify evidence-based solutions to major social and environmental challenges.
  • RENEW (University of Exeter and the National Trust) which aims to work with the public, landowners, land managers and businesses to improve biodiversity across the UK, to develop solutions to the renewal of biodiversity. The project also aims to widen the diversity of people engaged with nature in the UK, taking a ‘People in Nature’ approach.

What is GALLANT?

Hear from GALLANT staff, stakeholders and Glasgow City Council partners who explain what the project is and why it is important.

The GALLANT Team

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GALLANT Leadership Team

NameRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Jaime L Toney (GALLANT Principal Investigator)

College of Science and Engineering

Professor in Environmental and Climate Science

Director

Co-Chair

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

University of Glasgow Sustainability Working Group

Prof Petra Meier (GALLANT Co-PI)

School of Health & Wellbeing

Professor of Public Health

Associate Director 

MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

Prof Marian Scott (GALLANT Co-PI)

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Environmental Statistics

School of Mathematics and Statistics

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GALLANT Management Team

NameRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Sarah Currier

College of Science and Engineering

Programme Manager

GALLANT Programme

Cameron Mackay 

College of Science and Engineering

Programme Communications Coordinator

GALLANT Programme

Saba Saeed

College of Science and Engineering

Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

GALLANT Programme

To Be Appointed

College of Science and Engineering

Programme Administrator

GALLANT Programme

Nicola Smock

Research & Innovation Services

Centre for Sustainable Solutions Coordinator

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

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Systems Science Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof John Crawford (Team Co-Lead)

College of Social Sciences

Professor in Strategy and Technology Management

Adam Smith Business School

Prof Petra Meier (Team Co-Lead)

School of Health & Wellbeing

Professor of Public Health

Associate Director 

MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

Jo Winterbottom

School of Health & Wellbeing

Senior Research Fellow

MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit

Prof Denis Fischbacher-Smith

College of Social Sciences

Research Chair in Risk and Resilience

Visiting Professor of Risk Management

Adam Smith Business School

School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Prof Graeme Roy

College of Social Sciences

Dean of External Engagement

Professor in Economics

College Senior Management

Adam Smith Business School

Dr Annika Hjelmskog

School of Health & Wellbeing

Glasgow's City Portrait Research Associate

Research Associate in Systems Thinking and Modelling

MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit

Dr Cris Hasan

College of Social Sciences

Research Associate in Complex Systems Modelling & Visualisation

Adam Smith Business School

Amy Stevenson

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Health & Wellbeing

Jonathan Lee

College of Social Sciences

Postgraduate Researcher

Adam Smith Business School

Dr Elizabeth Inyang

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Post-Doctoral Research Assistant

School of Health & Wellbeing

Sarah Lester

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Research Assistant

School of Health & Wellbeing

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Community Collaboration Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Ria Dunkley (Team Lead)

College of Social Sciences

Professor of Environmental Pedagogy

Core Member

School of Education

Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CRADALL)

Prof Minty Donald

College of Arts & Humanities

Professor of Contemporary Performance Practice 

School of Culture & Creative Arts

Dr Nai Rui Chng

School of Health & Wellbeing

College of Social Sciences

Research Associate

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Research Associate in Innovative Methods for Co-Evaluating Collaborative Community Practices (GALLANT)

MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit

School of Health & Wellbeing Social Sciences

School of Education

Dr Rhys Williams

College of Arts & Humanities

Lecturer in Energy & Environmental Humanities

Associate Director

School of Critical Studies

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

Dr Sarah Gambell

College of Social Sciences

Research Associate in Applied Creative Practices in Communities

School of Education

Dr Florence Halstead

College of Social Sciences

Research Associate in Innovative Methods for Co-Producing Collaborative Community Practices

School of Education

Sarah-Jane Hamilton

College of Social Sciences

College of Science and Engineering

 

Postgraduate Researcher

 

Research Assistant - DEI Project, Glasgow Science Centre

 

School of Education 

 

James Watt School of Engineering

Jill Muirie

Glasgow Centre for Population Health

Public Health Programme Manager

Chair of GALLANT Community Collaboration Steering Group

School of Health & Wellbeing

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Data and Data Analytics Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Claire Miller (Team Lead)

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Statistics

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Prof Ana Basiri

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Geospatial Data Science 

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Prof Marian Scott

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Environmental Statistics

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Prof Nick Bailey 

College of Social Sciences

Professor

Associate

Director

Urban Studies

School of Health & Wellbeing 

Urban Big Data Centre

Dr Luigi Cao Pinna

College of Science and Engineering

Research Associate in Urban Environmental Data Analytics

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Barbara Alvarez Solanilla

College of Social Sciences

Senior Research Engineering Manager

Urban Big Data Centre

Andy Clarke

College of Social Sciences

Data Scientist (Digital Storytelling Engineer)

Urban Big Data Centre

Sanjay Raut

Information Services

Research Infrastructure Engineer

IT Services

Heather Sinclair

College of Social Sciences

Information Services Officer

Urban Big Data Centre

Ermia Hassanpour

College of Social Sciences

Research Software Engineer

Urban Big Data Centre

Jack Baird

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Mathematics and Statistics

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Flood Adaptation & Riverscapes Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Larissa Naylor (Team Co-Lead)

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Martin Hurst (Team Co-Lead)

College of Science and Engineering

Lecturer in Physical Geography

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Giedre Jokubauskaite 

College of Social Sciences

Lecturer in International Law

School of Law

Dr John Shi

College of Social Sciences

Senior Lecturer in Hydrology

School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Dr Richard Williams

College of Science and Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Fluvial Geomorphology and Geospatial Science

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Octria Adi Prosojo

College of Science and Engineering

Research Associate in Modelling the Potential for Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigate Flood Risk

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Kathryn Fradera

College of Social Sciences

Research Associate in Climate Adaptive Governance and Spatial Regulation

School of Law

Simla Green

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

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Restoring Biodiversity Team

NameRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Dr Dominic McCafferty (Team Co-Lead)

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Senior Lecturer

Associate

School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine

School of Life Sciences

Dr Davide Dominoni (Team Co-Lead)

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Lecturer in Urban Ecology

School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine

Prof Ria Dunkley

College of Social Sciences

Professor of Environmental Pedagogy

Core Member

School of Education

Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CRADALL)

Dr Anna Bracken

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Research Associate in Spatial Ecology

School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine

Dr Alejandra Vovides

College of Science and Engineering

Research Affiliate in Urban Wetland Ecology

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Emma Plant

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Jessica Young

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine

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Regenerating Derelict Land Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay (Team Co-Lead)

College of Science and Engineering

Professor of Environmental Engineering and Chemistry

James Watt School of Engineering

Prof Cise Unluer (Team Co-Lead)

Faculty of Science & Engineering (University of Manchester)

Professor of Engineering Net Zero

Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering

Dr Adrian Bass

College of Science and Engineering

Senior Lecturer

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr John MacDonald

College of Science and Engineering

Lecturer in Earth Sciences

School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Carla Comadran Casas

College of Science and Engineering

Research Associate in Carbon Sequestration

James Watt School of Engineering

Dr Elmira Khaksar Najafi 

College of Science and Engineering

Research Associate in Engineering Infrastructure and Environment

James Watt School of Engineering 

Heloisa Dickinson

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

James Watt School of Engineering

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Promoting Active Travel Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Cindy Gray (Team Co-Lead)

School of Health & Wellbeing

Interdisciplinary Professor of Health and Behaviour

School of Health & Wellbeing Social Sciences

Prof Jason Gill (Team Co-Lead)

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Professor of Cardiometabolic Health

Associate

Associate

School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

School of Health & Wellbeing 

School of Life Sciences

Prof Alex McConnachie 

School of Health & Wellbeing

Professor of Clinical Trial Biostatistics

Associate 

Robertson Centre for Biostatistics

School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

Dr David McArthur

College of Social Sciences

Senior Lecturer

Associate Director – Training and Capacity Building

Urban Studies

Urban Big Data Centre

Prof Emma McIntosh

School of Health & Wellbeing

Professor of Health Economics

Associate

Health Economics & Health Technology Assessment

School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

Prof Nick Bailey 

College of Social Sciences

Professor

Associate

Director

Urban Studies

School of Health & Wellbeing 

Urban Big Data Centre

Dr Emma Lawlor

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Research Fellow

School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

Fernanda Gabler Trisotti

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Active Travel Study Manager

School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

Liz Coyle

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Administrator

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Heather Fraser

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Health Economist

Health Economics & Health Technology Assessment

Kassandra Moosbrugger

College of Social Sciences

Postgraduate Researcher

School of Social & Political Sciences

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Community Energy Team

Name / CollegeRoleSchool / Subject / Unit

Prof Gioia Falcone (Team Lead)

College of Science and Engineering

Rankine Chair of Energy Engineering

Associate Director

James Watt School of Engineering

Centre for Sustainable Solutions

Dr Siming You

College of Science and Engineering

Senior Lecturer (Systems Power & Energy)

James Watt School of Engineering

Dr Graeme Hunt

College of Science and Engineering

Research Associate in Sustainable Energy Solutions

James Watt School of Engineering

Nicola Tait

College of Science and Engineering

Postgraduate Researcher

James Watt School of Engineering

Anton Soderqvist

College of Science and Engineering

 

Postgraduate Researcher

James Watt School of Engineering

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GALLANT Key Partners

  • Glasgow City Council
  • C40 Cities
  • Korn Ferry
  • The Alan Turing Institute
  • Bike for Good
  • NERC British Geological Survey
  • Cycling Scotland
  • Environment Agency - Thames RFCC (Flood & Coastal Comm)
  • ERS (Environmental Reclamation Services) Remediation
  • Glasgow Natural History Society
  • Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
  • NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage)
  • Ramboll UK
  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency
  • SLR Consulting Limited (UK)
  • Star Refrigeration Ltd
  • Sustrans
  • Zero Waste Scotland
  • Seven Lochs Wetland Park
  • Clyde Mission
  • Glasgow Life