Michael Grace

Senior Research Fellow

School of Computing and Digital Technology

Email:: Michael.grace@bcu.ac.uk
Phone:: 07784 293790

Mike Grace is a chartered town planner and has extensive experience in land use planning and place making through working in UK local authorities and national government agencies. He was Head of Planning Services at Carlisle City Council and Head of Profession for Sustainable Land Use at Natural England.

Mike’s research interests include smart-sustainable cities and developing national standards for urban green infrastructure for England. Mike is interested in research that can help integrate policies and solutions for urban futures and especially smart-natural city concepts. In particular, how blue and green infrastructure can create sustainable land use and new ways of regenerating and managing urban areas that deliver benefits to citizens.

Between 2011 and 2014, Mike led the volunteer group which developed the Much Wenlock Neighbourhood Plan, one of the 17 UK national front-runners and the first in the West Midlands to be ‘made’. He continues to advocate the importance of the Much Wenlock NP and is part of the network of ‘national champions’ for neighbourhood planning run by Locality.

Qualifications

Memberships

Research

Publications

Michael Grace and Alison Smith (2022). A Core Menu of Green Infrastructure Standards. BCU Project No. 4085 Final report. [Unpublished] Report of recommendations for Natural England, May 2022.

Ingo Schüder, Michael Grace & Bruce Howard. Trialling, Monitoring and Evaluating Green Infrastructure Standards for England; Whole trial conclusion report. Defra reference 29240; 23rd April 2021. [Unpublished] Report to Defra, April 2021.

Marianna Cavada, Chris Bouch, Chris Rogers, Michael Grace and Alexander Robertson. A Soft Systems Methodology for Business Creation: The Lost World at Tyseley, Birmingham. Urban Planning and Green Infrastructure (2021, Volume 6, Issue 1)

Michael Grace, Alister J. Scott, Jonathan P. Sadler, David G. Proverbs and Nick Grayson. Exploring the smart-natural city interface; re-imagining and re-integrating urban planning and governance. Emerald Open Research, 2, 7. 2021. https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13226.1 Urban Living Birmingham (ULB) project; funder Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Innovate UK as part of the Urban Living Partnership [EP/P002021/1].

Proverbs, D.G., Wall, R., Grace, M., Kapetas, L., Lim., A. et al (2020). Building Resilience in Flood Disaster Management in Northern Peru. Co-Editor; 2020. Workshop report 20-23 August 2018 in the city of Piura funded by the Newton-Paulet Fund. https://www.bcu.ac.uk/computing-engineering-and-the-built-environment/research/projects/building-resilience-in-flood-disaster-management-in-northern-peru

Grace, M., Proverbs, D.G., Scott, A.J., Sadler, J.P. & Grayson, N. (2019). The Opportunities for Digital Conservation in Making Smarter Cities more Natural. The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), World Building Congress 2019 – Constructing Smart Cities; 17-21 June 2019 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Paper reference number: Ab0279. The registration platform can be found at http://www.wbc2019.hk/registration.php .

Grace M. & Proverbs D.G. (2017). Review of the 14 NERC-funded Green Infrastructure Innovation Projects. Report for the Natural Environment Research Council; 22 December 2017. Available here: https://mainstreaminggreeninfrastructure.com/outputs-page.php?NERC_GI_Review

Scott, A., Carter, C., Hölzinger, O. et al.. (2014). UK National Ecosystem Assessment Follow-on. Work Package Report 10: Tools – Applications, Benefits and Linkages for Ecosystem Science (TABLES). UNEP-WCMC, LWEC, Available from: UK. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305795871_UK_National_Ecosystem_Assessment_Follow-on_Work_Package_Report_10_Tools_-_Applications_Benefits_and_Linkages_for_Ecosystem_Science_TABLES

Grace, M., Dykes, A. P., Thorp, S. P. R. & Crowle, A.J.W. (2013). Natural England review of upland evidence - The impacts of tracks on the integrity and hydrological function of blanket peat. Natural England Evidence Review, Number 002. Available here: http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5724597?category=5968803