School of Education

GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation

GALLANT is a NERC-funded (£10.2M) partnership between University of Glasgow and Glasgow City Council and will use Glasgow as a living lab to trial new sustainable solutions throughout the city. GALLANT takes a whole-systems approach. While addressing the city’s key environmental challenges, we will consider the co-benefits and trade-offs for public health, wellbeing and economy. GALLANT aims to deliver the social priorities of the UN SDGs while remaining within the planetary boundaries of a 1.5°C world - using doughnut economics as a framework.

The programme brings together over 50 multidisciplinary researchers with 29 public and private sector partners across the city region. Together we aim not only to bring nature back into the city system, but make meaningful, lasting change that embeds sustainability across major policy decisions and empowers communities as stewards of their local places. GALLANT will work with local partners and communities to transform the city into a thriving place for people and nature. GALLANT will help Glasgow achieve its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and accelerate its path to climate resilience.

Work package 1 (WP1) will address flood risk related to tidal changes, sea level rise, and increased water from extreme weather events. GALLANT aims to transform land use along the River Clyde by identifying sites for urban corridor parks for flood water storage, while also improving areas along the Clyde for wildlife and people.

WP2 recognises that cities can play a key role in halting biodiversity loss by restoring and connecting currently isolated habitat patches. GALLANT will improve biodiversity by restoring and connecting habitats across Glasgow. Citizens will play a key role in helping researchers to map important bird and mammal species that lead to new management practices in greenspaces to increase connectivity between habitats.

WP3 will trial new ways of regenerating derelict and polluted land through technology that mineralises greenhouse gases and traps organic pollutants into building materials for the future. Returning these sites for community use and ecologically functional places.

WP4 recognises that connectivity is important not only for nature, but for active travel and inclusive mobility. GALLANT will work with communities to increase active travel including cycling, wheeling and walking to reduce car journeys, improve air quality and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

WP5 tackles sustainable heating and housing as key challenges to achieving net zero carbon. GALLANT will develop sustainable low carbon energy solutions at the community scale that empower local people as active energy citizens to co-create clean energy demand.

Through our living lab approach we will learn how to create solutions that are place-based and meaningful to local people. Our global network of partners, including with C40 Cities, means that we will exchange our learning and solutions with both academics and policy leaders across the world. This is an exciting opportunity for Glasgow to lead and carry on the legacy from the recent COP26.