September 2026
What could local government reform mean for planning?
The Scottish Government’s proposal for regional authorities and new community-level authorities represents a major shift in how planning decisions could be organised. Areas such as housing, strategic planning and some aspects of transport may move to regional bodies, while community authorities could take on householder planning applications, community planning and greenspace management
The central question for planning is how decisions at different scales will connect. Strategic planning needs regional coordination, but good planning also depends on local knowledge, community priorities and an understanding of what makes places distinctive. The proposal emphasises subsidiarity and strengthened community participation, suggesting a more deliberate relationship between regional strategy and community influence.
The reform is still at an early stage. Howevever, it opens a space to rethink how regional strategy, local knowledge and community participation can work together to shape better places.
August 2026
Joining the Highland Adapts Advisory Panel
Selected to join the Highland Adapts Advisory Panel for 2026–2027, contributing planning and place-based expertise to work focused on building a more climate-resilient Highland.
The Advisory Panel brings together expertise from across the public, private, third and community sectors to help turn climate risk assessment into action, including priorities such as the Highland Resilience Fund
Learn more about Highland Adapts →
July 2026
Selected for the Eklipse Expert Working Group
Selected for an international expert working group exploring how games and game-based approaches can strengthen the science–policy interface.
This work brings together expertise from across Europe to explore how creative approaches can support evidence-informed decision-making, knowledge exchange and collaboration between researchers, policymakers and practitioners through
creative participatory approaches.
Learn more about the Eklipse Expert Working Group →
June 2026
New publication: Gamifying Flood Resilience
Published research led by Dr Sarah Crowe exploring how serious games, playful placemaking and blue green infrastructure approaches can support participatory planning and climate resilience.
The paper examines how creative and collaborative methods can help communities, practitioners and researchers explore complex environmental challenges and develop more inclusive approaches to flood resilience.
View publication →