Laboratory of Social Psychology of transitions towards sustainability
The interdisciplinary People-Environment Research Group has a long trajectory of world-class research on the interactions between the natural and built environment and human behaviour and includes psychologists, sociologists, economists, political scientists, geographers and architects. Its areas of expertise include the psychological dimensions of social change and transitions to sustainable lifestyles, social innovation, environmental risk research, environmental education, the relationship between nature-based solutions, pro-environmental behaviour and wellbeing.
For the last fifteen years, the Group has both coordinated and participated in numerous national and European research projects including FP7, Horizon-2020, Horizono-Europe and Green Deal, all of them EU-funded programs (see below for a few completed projects examples). Its members have consolidated expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods of research as well as participatory scenario development methodologies such as back-casting scenarios, the analysis of psychological dimensions of social change and transitions to sustainable lifestyles, social innovation, environmental risk research, environmental education, the relationship between nature-based solutions, pro-environmental behaviour and wellbeing, urban planning, green infrastructures and sustainable architecture. The group combines such applied research work with teaching and training of organizations and policy-makers to incorporate sustainability principles in their work. Researchers are active members of the International Association for People-Environment Studies – IAPS, International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), American Psychological Association (APA), Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), and UNI-SCAPE.| Project title | ENTRANCES ("ENergy TRANsitions from Coal and carbon: Effects on Societies") |
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| Funding authority | Horizon-2020 – European Commission – (2020 – 2023) |
| Short description | A large scale project involving 14 universities and research organizations, funded under the Horizon-2020 Programme for the Social Sciences and Humanities (Grant No: 883947). Professor Ricardo Garcia-Mira is the General Coordinator of the Project, which focuses on the understanding of transitions to clean energy in Europe and takes an interdisciplinary perspective to develop a theoretically-based and empirically-grounded understanding of cross-cutting issues related to social and human aspects, as well as to provide a set of policy recommendations on best governance designs, strategies and policy mixes for tackling these issues. |
| Website | https://www.entrancesproject.eu |
| Role in project | UDC is the Project Coordinator. |
| Project title | CONNECTING Nature ("COproductioN with NaturE for City Transitioning, INnovation and Governance") |
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| Funding authority | Horizon-2020 – European Commission – (2017-2021) |
| Short description | A 5 year project in the Smart and Sustainable Cities cross cutting Societal Challenge of Horizon 2020 (Grant. No 730222). The project involves 29 partners –Universities, Research Institutes and Municipalities- from 16 countries. Dr. Ricardo Garcia Mira is one of the lead researchers in the project. Our team is in charge of work package 1, focused on the assessment, evidence and evaluation of the effectiveness of nature-based solutions implementation in cities. |
| Website | http://www.connectingnature.eu |
| Role in project | UDC is a WP coordinator. |
| Project title | GLAMURS ("Green Lifestyles, Alternative Models and Upscaling Regional Sustainability") |
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| Funding authority | FP7 – European Commission – (2014-2016) |
| Short description | A large scale project involving 11 universities and research institutes, funded under the FP7 Programme for the Social Sciences and Humanities (Grant No: 613420). Professor Ricardo Garcia-Mira was the Scientific Co-ordinator of the Project, which focuses on the understanding of transitions to sustainable lifestyles and a green economy in Europe and takes a time-use perspective to identify the opportunities for, and obstacles to, living a greener life while also experiencing high levels of wellbeing. |
| Website | http://www.glamurs.eu |
| Role in project | UDC was the Project Coordinator. |
| Project title | TRANSIT ("Transformative Social Innovation Theory") |
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| Funding authority | FP7 – European Commission – (2014-2017) |
| Short description | A large scale FP7-funded project involving 12 universities and research institutes in both Europe and Latin America (Grant No.: 613169). Professor Ricardo Garcia Mira was the lead researcher in the project, in charge of bringing psychological theory to the understanding of transformative social innovation, social learning and empowerment. |
| Website | http://www.transitsocialinnovation.eu |
| Role in project | UDC was involved in all WPs. |
| Project title | LOCAW ("Low Carbon at Work: Modeling agents and organizations to achieve transition to a low carbon Europe") |
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| Funding authority | FP7 – European Commission – (2011-2013) |
| Short description | Funded by the European Commission under the FP7 Programme for the Environment (Grant No.: 265155). Professor Ricardo Garcia-Mira was the Project Coordinator. This project focused on greening organizations through the promotion of worker autonomy and pro-environmental behaviour. |
| Website | http://www.locaw-fp7.com |
| Role in project | UDC was the Project Coordinator. |