The limits of ‘evidence’ on planning policy: A case study of urban cycling infrastructure investment

As part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP), the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Liverpool is pleased to offer this fully-funded PhD studentship on cycling and urban planning.

Working in close partnership with partners Sustrans, this research project will consider “the limits of ‘evidence’ on planning policy“. This acknowledges that, whilst there is a broad acceptance that cycling is a positive factor in many facets of urban development (e.g. health, congestion and competitiveness), there are clear differences in how local authorities implement this evidence in their own areas. As such, the research will explore how the evidence for urban cycling infrastructure investment is considered by key planning policy decision makers within local authorities and city region governments as a means to develop a policy ‘toolkit’ which can help urban areas implement better cycling provision.

In doing so, you will work on a policy-relevant project in cities at the forefront of this debate. The successful candidate will be based at the University of Liverpool, and will benefit from a collaborative supervisory team comprising of academics from the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester, and Sustrans. They will have the opportunity to work in Sustrans’ Manchester office, and will conduct research that will directly interlink with Sustran’s work on Bike Life, the largest attitudinal study on cycling in the UK – and which has played a key role in influencing policy including Greater Manchester’s Beelines.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant community of postgraduate researchers in the Department of Geography and Planning, and will benefit from the variety of training and education at the University of Liverpool has on offer.

Award and Eligibility
An NWSSDTP Studentship consists of:
• Payment of academic fees, at the standard UKRI rate
• Maintenance Stipend for three years (£14,777 in 2018, exact rate for 2019 subject to confirmation from UKRI)
• Access to a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for reimbursement of research related expenses including - but not limited to - conference attendance, training courses and UK fieldwork.

Applicants will be expected to commence the programme of study on 1st October 2019.

Applicants will be expected to have (or be about to complete) a Masters degree in a relevant discipline at a minimum of a Merit level, and a first or upper second class at an undergraduate level.

Awards are available to UK/EU applicants only. EU applicants who have not been resident in the UK for the three years prior to the start of their studentship are eligible for a fees-only award from the ESRC.

How to Apply

To apply please register and complete the necessary documentation for an Environmental Sciences (desk-based) PhD via the following link: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/


The closing date for applications is 4pm on Thursday 7th February, 2019. It is expected that interviews will be held on 20th February 2019.

For informal discussions please contact the project lead, Dr Alex Nurse via [Email Address Removed]