Pathways to a more policy-engaged geography

ABSTRACT

Geographers have a responsibility to address the major challenges of our time by engaging with and shaping policy. The paper introduces three ways this might be achieved – through critical engagement with policy; through occupying liminal spaces that foster agenda setting; and through empowering others to shape policy-from-below. Drawing on a range of experiences related to urban and regional development, the challenges and opportunities of engaging with the policy world are discussed. The paper concludes with a call to strive for a geography of possibility where our discipline is recognized as critical to solving social, economic and environmental challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• Public policy
• policy-engaged research
• public geographies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Niamh Moore-Cherry

Niamh Moore-Cherry is Associate Professor at the School of Geography, University College Dublin and Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London.