The Urban ID project developed and piloted a new approach for diagnosing complex urban challenges in the Bristol urban area. Led by the University of Bristol, it was funded jointly by Innovate UK and the Research Councils under the Urban Living Partnership programme.
As a Bristol urban area pilot project, it brought together an extensive partnership of researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines, organisations and third sector groups. Systems thinking, creative practice engagement, ‘learning journeys’ and coproduction were core tenets of the approach.
Researchers on Urban ID were active within the City of Bristol on grassroots initiatives, in local partnerships and within local government. A key aim of this grouping was to break down notions of ‘top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ and create a more integrated approach, working out from common interests, concerns and practices.
The project partners were Bristol City Council, Bristol green Capital Partnership, Future Cities Catapults, Knowle West Media Centre, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, Arup UK, Business West, University of the West of England, South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol Health Partners, Royal Society for Arts (South West Region), watershed Media Centre, Bristol Festival of Ideas, Buro Happold Limited and PwC LLP.
The key outputs from the project were:
- A body of co-produced research and accompanying methods that demonstrate a systems-based approach to understanding challenges and barriers to achieving a more sustainable city.
- New diagnostic methods and tools to help city leaders to understand and analyse urban challenges collaboratively.
- A synthesis of systems and coproduction schools of thought, set within a structured challenge theme framework that allows users to elicit the needs and views of a broad range of stakeholders.
Image by Eli Hatleskog
Urban ID was led by Prof Colin Taylor (PI) and managed by Dr Ges Rosenberg. ESDi supported the systems thinking aspects to the project. More details on Urban ID can be found here.
Latest Posts
- Urban ID Impact Acceleration
In 2019, Ges Rosenberg won an Impact Acceleration Award (IAA) to support Bristol City Council develop its Bristol ‘One City’ Planning approach… Read more: Urban ID Impact Acceleration