Adaptation, Value, and the Built Environment (AVBE)

The Adaptation, Value, and Built Environment Research Group investigates urban, land and property systems - inclusive of design, financial viability, planning and development, governance, property management and redevelopment. Recognising that the majority of urban locations and related built environment already exist (or soon will) – the group has a track record in understanding how urban land and property market systems are governed and adapt over time.

Our Research Culture

The Adaptation, Value, and Built Environment Research Group supports an inclusive research culture that helps to freely explore ideas across the research community and respective career stage. Central to this philosophy is collaboration and an open approach to research philosophies.

Current Research Themes

Urban/property modelling using big data and digital technology

This research investigates the dynamics of urban and property (residential and commercial) systems – the foundations of the built environment. Often using econometric and spatial analysis and big data (and associated tools) to understand how urban locations and property markets adapt over time.

Future valuation methodologies and knowledge exchange in the digital built environment
The investigation of future valuation methodologies seeks to understand the changing nature of property valuation techniques, and the role they play in inhibiting/accelerating the adaptation of the built environment. While the investigation of digital knowledge exchange in the real estate domain seeks to understand how such knowledge is transferred and re-appropriated in new domains.

Urban governance and policy impact
This research seeks to understand the evolving nature of sub-national governance, particularly at the local, combined authority and regional scale.  Exploring emerging governance systems and their application in relation to decision making and policy implementation, within the linked fields of urban regeneration, public finance, economic development, and housing delivery.

Land value capture and infrastructure based value for money assessment
This research has a track record in understanding how the value held in land and property markets can be secured to pay for infrastructure change and then assessed in terms of value for money. Sustaining this track record, new research rests primarily in the areas of land value capture prediction, infrastructure demand and value for money modelling - as it relates to transport and flood risk adaptation strategies.

Urban adaptation and planning
This research has a track record in understanding how the urban built environment (and the planning system that supports it) is adapting to the challenges of sustainability and structural changes in work and society. The research cluster is currently working with partners to investigate how commercial building environments are adapting in response to the changing nature of work; how buildings/property portfolios are mitigating their fossil fuel exposure and how the medical sector are requisitioning and adapting obsolescent assets to manage health disasters.

Research Relationships

This group is a part of the University’s multi-disciplinary research into the theme of DigitalLiving. Research from this group will be submitted to REF2028 under UoA 13: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning.

To view research papers emanating from this group, please click here to view Northumbria ResearchLink, our open access repository of research output from Northumbria University.

Academic Staff

• Kevin Muldoon-Smith (Lead)
• Cara Hatcher
• Carolyn Gibbeson
• David McGuinness
• Fangchen Zhang
• Gillian Telford-Cooke
• Jane Loxley
• Leo Moreton
• Lynn Johnson
• Mark Kirk
• Rachel Williams
• Rachel Kirk
• Christopher Reeves
• Ali Parsa

PhD Community

• Triantafyllos (Alkis) Lathouras: Pocket Parks and Spatial inequalities
• Patrick Nwoko: Flood Risk Management Adaptation: Niger Delta
• Lynn Johnson: Future Valuation Methodologies
• Jane Loxley: Office Building Adaptation 

Partnership Community

Researchers in the group collaborate with an international partnership community across the public and private sector, including: the British Council for Offices, Robertson Simpson, Aviva, BIM Academy, the Local Government Information Unit, Insights Northeast, Home Group and Homes England and local, regional, and central government.