About the Project
Urban nature-based solutions, such as reduced mowing, wildflower verges and edible plots like foraging walls, are increasingly seen as essential for creating climate-adaptive, nature-positive places. Their ecological benefits are well established, but their success depends heavily on public acceptance. Visible changes to public spaces can challenge long-standing ideas of what a well-maintained place looks like, sometimes leading to perceptions of neglect. This can generate resistance and…
polarised debate, particularly on social media, where competing interpretations can contribute to misinformation and a loss of trust.
This PhD project approaches nature-positive change through a sustainability management and stakeholder lens, exploring how businesses, local authorities and residents can work together to co-create and legitimise nature-positive places. Businesses are increasingly active partners in this work, through sustainability strategies, sponsorship of public spaces and employee volunteering, yet little is understood about how interactions between businesses, local authorities and communities shape the negotiation and legitimacy of these changes, particularly where they are contested.
The researcher will use a qualitative, participatory design. A scoping analysis of social media posts will first identify the main concerns and narratives. Interviews, focus groups and stakeholder workshops with businesses, local authorities and residents will then explore the perceptions, values and tensions that shape responses to nature-positive interventions, both online and offline. These findings will inform the co-design of locally relevant, feasible interventions that reflect diverse perspectives.
The project directly the need for research on trust, misinformation and communication, by examining how contested narratives shape understanding and trust itself, and whether co-creation can support more constructive engagement. It will contribute to academic understanding of how stakeholder interactions shape the legitimacy of nature-positive change, and give local authorities, businesses and communities co-created proposals for future implementation. Outputs will include academic publications, co-designed intervention proposals, case studies and practical evidence to support future nature-positive initiatives.
This project has been co-created with and is supported by researchers from the University of Leicester and Loughborough University, and partners at Leicestershire County Council. The successful candidate for this project will be enrolled at the University of Leicester.
Project Aims and Objectives
The project objectives are:
- To understand how stakeholders perceive and assign meaning to nature-positive interventions in local places, including the competing values and expectations that can make such interventions contested. This will be related specifically to initiatives that have been applied in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland with varying degrees of success, such as mowing opt out schemes and pollinator patches.
- To use focus-groups and interviews with businesses, statutory authorities, individuals and community groups to understand the deeper reasons why people respond positively or negatively to nature in the urban landscape and how this can shape future design choices.
- To codesign nature-positive interventions that support inclusive and locally valued nature-positive places.
What is Collaboratory?
Collaboratory is a research programme, led by Universities for Nottingham and the Leicester Universities Partnership, that places community knowledge and experience at the heart of research. This eight-year initiative is pioneering a new approach to collaboration, working closely with local communities and community-focused organisations to develop and deliver research that addresses the needs and priorities of local communities.
Who are we looking for?
Collaboratory aims to bridge the gap between academia and communities through a holistic programme of co-created research that actively embeds public groups within its research. As we strive to establish an innovative approach to conducting PhD research, we seek candidates who can demonstrate a deep knowledge of and commitment to Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland and communities. Prospective candidates should demonstrate the extent to which they meet the project competencies, detailed in the full advert on the Collaboratory website.
How to Apply
Applications to all Collaboratory 2027 PhD studentships must be submitted through our online applications portal. It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants attend one of the online support sessions, prior to submitting their application. Full details of the Collaboratory programme, studentship funding, eligibility criteria and link to the application form can be found on our website at collaboratoryresearchhub.ac.uk/2027-studentships.
Applications open at 11am on Monday, 5th October 2026 and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 29th November 2026.