Dr Faye Wade
Dr Faye Wade is a ClimateXChange Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. Her research applies social science to understand the policy makers, public and private sector organisations, and building professionals responsible for creating a more sustainable built environment.
Faye is particularly interested in the role of research for informing policy and industry practices. Her current project is an evaluation of the organisation and delivery of the Energy Efficient Scotland programme. This is the Scottish Government’s flagship scheme for retrofitting buildings across all sectors in Scotland.
Faye’s other research has focussed on transformative digital technologies for changing construction practices, and the role of heating engineers and the heating industry in shaping domestic energy consumption.
www.sociology.ed.ac.uk/people/faye_wade
Latest Commentaries
Systems Thinking is Needed to Achieve Sustainable Cities
As city populations grow, a critical current and future challenge for urban researchers is to provide compelling evidence of the medium and long-term co-benefits of quality, low-carbon affordable housing and compact urban design. Philippa Howden-Chapman (University of Otago) and Ralph Chapman (Victoria University of Wellington) explain why systems-based, transition-oriented research on housing and associated systemic benefits is needed now more than ever.
Unmaking Cities Can Catalyse Sustainable Transformations
Andrew Karvonen (Lund University) explains why innovation has limitations for achieving systemic change. What is also needed is a process of unmaking (i.e. phasing out existing harmful technologies, processes and practices) whilst ensuring inequalities, vulnerabilities and economic hazards are avoided. Researchers have an important role to identify what needs dismantling, identify advantageous and negative impacts and work with stakeholders and local governments.