The themes of belonging, community and urban regeneration, well known to the listeners of Survival of the Kindest Podcast, are central to the work of this week’s guest, Dr Sophie Yarker, recommended by Dr Simon Lennane.
Sophie is a Research Fellow based in the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing, working on the Ageing in Place in Cities project.
She has a PhD in Human Geography which looked at the nature and extent of local belonging and attachment to place in the context of urban regeneration.
Her research interests are around how we can build more inclusive urban neighbourhoods particularly in the context of urban regeneration and population change. These interest are focused around three main themes;
- Collaborative and inclusive forms of urban development
- Social innovation within the community and voluntary sector
- Conceptualising local neighbourhoods and feelings of belonging and attachment to local communities