East London Research Network brings partners together to address sustainability and wellbeing as part of Climate Action Week 2026

2 March 2026

As part of the University’s Climate Action Week 2026, the East London Research Network (ELRN) met on campus on 25 February, bringing together researchers, community organisations, local authorities and civic partners to explore how collaboration can drive environmental resilience and sustainability in East London. The event highlighted the breadth of place-based work taking place across the seven East London boroughs, and the role of universities as long-term civic partners rooted in local priorities. 

A series of lightning talks showcased collaborative projects addressing climate resilience, biodiversity, food justice, public health and inclusive urban design. Professor Alex Henshaw from the School of Society and Environment presented participatory research on urban nature recovery and ecosystem services. Reflecting on the challenges of working in cities, he said, ‘Cities are about people’, and stressed the importance of bringing ‘diverse communities together to achieve these goals.’ 

Community food growing and access to green spaces featured strongly throughout the event. Speakers from the Right to Grow Tower Hamlets campaign and the Women’s Environmental Network described efforts to secure policy change so that more public land can be used for community food growing and wellbeing. The campaign is working closely with councillors, council officers and landowners to create long-term, equitable access to land, while building borough-wide and London-wide networks of community gardens. 

The event also highlighted innovative co-production and engagement methods. Professor Alison Blunt’s partnership project with the Place Directorate at London Borough of Tower Hamlets, exploring gender-inclusive green space design in Tower Hamlets was presented, drawing on more than 50 community research walks and hundreds of photographs gathered by young community researchers. The project translated lived experience into practical design guidance aimed at making green spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and restorative. 

The intersection of health and the environment were another key theme. Professor James Scales presented a long-term research project on air pollution and children’s lung development, showing that improvements in air quality have led to measurable health benefits. ‘By improving air quality in London, we have improved children’s health,’ he said, underlining the value of robust evidence to inform environmental policy. 

Student–community partnerships were also a focus, with plans outlined for a new student placement module designed to embed Queen Mary students within community organisations. Introducing the initiative, Dr Stuart Grieve from the School of Society and Environment described it as a way to ‘do more of these amazing things through partnerships with our students’, while strengthening skills development and long-term relationships with local organisations. 

Across the event, speakers repeatedly returned to the importance of collaboration, mutual benefit, and locally grounded knowledge. 

The event concluded with open discussion and networking, as a space to develop new collaborations, address shared challenges such as funding and capacity, and align future work across sectors. 

A big thanks to all of those who came along and contributed to the session. 

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The East London Research Network (ELRN) brings together researchers across the Queen Mary faculties and research support roles to share best practice, build connections and discuss opportunities and challenges focused on our place in East London.  

Queen Mary Postgraduate, postdoctoral and academic colleagues conducting research in, with and for East London across all Schools, Institutes and Faculties are very welcome to join the network, as are professional services roles who support research and researchers. 

Register to join the network.