Human and social factors are important contributors to successful adaptation. Technological fixes can only take adaptation solutions so far; understanding how residents and communities view possible adaptation measures, how they use technology to improve their lifestyle, and what factors influence personal decision-making, all play a role in influencing successful and robust adaptation strategies.
An increasing number of ARCC-related projects include work to better understand aspects of the social and behavioural change needed to promote a resilient built environment. They also examine how this knowledge can be integrated with engineering and technical solutions to deliver wider benefits.
Research activities
- Liveable Cities – transforming the engineering of cities to deliver wellbeing within the context of low carbon living and resource security through developing realistic and radical engineering that will lead to liveable cities of the future.
- Land of the MUSCos – Multi-Utility Service Companies – considering alternative approaches to infrastructure delivery focussing on end user service needs.
- STEP-CHANGE – to better understand how people’s transport and travel practices have changed in the past and how they might change in the future
- ARCoES – enhancing the resilience of coastal energy supply, including local level decision support.
- SNACC – Suburban neighbourhood adaptation for a changing climate: identifying effective, practical and acceptable means of suburban re-design.
- FutureNet – what will be the nature of the UK transport system in 2050, both in terms of its physical characteristics and its usage.
ARCC outputs
- Our blog article from the Adapting Urban Lives session at the ARCC Assembly 2014 looks at what works and what doesn’t in engaging residents in adaptation measures. See also further information on the ARCC Assembly session 1b.
- Social and behavioural change as a theme within the ARCC network. Strengths, challenges and opportunities identified at the ARCC Assembly, 2014.
- Adaptation to climate change and social science workshop, 2013 – developing a shared understanding of the lessons learned from the social science aspects across the ARCC network.
