Research

Below are various research outputs and highlights from the Department of Real Estate & Planning at Henley Business School, University of Reading. 

Research Bids

Gavin Parker – Nuffield Foundation Research Grant (full stage)

• Title: Just neighbourhoods? Understanding the potential of community-led planning in left behind places
• Total bid: £268,269; Amount to UoR £225,270
• Decision expected: June 2023

Claudia Murray - Committee on Climate Change (Contract Research)

• Title: Delivering Net Zero and climate resilience through the local planning system: barriers and opportunities
• Total bid: £10,387; Amount to UoR £10,387
• Decision expected: Unknown

Research Engagement

Prof. Gavin Parker has just recently completed research work with Dr Tessa Lynn (Kingfisher Commons) and Dr Matthew Wargent (Cardiff) looking at neighbourhood planning take-up and associated issues in Middlesbrough. This work is part of efforts to better understand and support ‘left behind places’ as part of the wider levelling up policy agenda. Prof Parker discussed this topic at a recent APGG event (see below) on left behind neighbourhoods in Parliament, where the idea of place making was stressed as being just as important as typical economic development objectives such as job creation, skills or deregulation.

Publications

Mark Dobson & Gavin Parker – Words (in)action: the orchestration of participation in planning through Statements of Community Involvement in England
Town Planning Review - CentAUR link

Key finding
Local authorities rarely commit to activity as highlighted in Statements of Community Involvement, beyond statutory requirements.

Abstract
Drawing on empirical cases this paper examines the political work enacted through the seemingly mundane procedures and texts that shape planning practice and community participation yet which reflect the exercise of different forms of power. Through application of Foucauldian power theory the paper shows how the design and the specificities of inscription of Statements of Community Involvement (SCIs) reflect institutional resistance to mandated participation, such that the promise of participation inputs are held contingent. This assessment highlights how local authorities rarely commit to participatory activity beyond the statutorily defined requirements and how such texts structure community relations on this basis.

Jiarong Li et al - Does corporate ESG create value? New evidence from M&As in China
Pacific-Basin Finance Journal - CentAUR link

Key finding
Chinese domestic mergers and acquisitions often relate positively to increased value and likelihood of deal completion. 

Abstract
Using a large sample of Chinese companies' domestic M&A, this study provides new evidence on the financial payback of corporate ESG and its dynamics. We find that acquirers' ESG rating is positively correlated to post-M&A performance and deal completion likelihood. Additionally, we find the relationship between acquirer's ESG dynamic and post-M&A performance is contingent on the firm's previous ESG standards. Overall, these findings are in line with the instrumental stakeholders' view that high ESG performance could earn support from stakeholders for post-M&A synergy creation and emphasize the asymmetric marginal outcome of firms' ESG efforts as a result of diminishing marginal utility of stakeholders.

PhD News

Fengting Zhang (2023) - Does media policical bias affect land price? Evidence from the Chinese land market. 

Poster presented at the AREUEA-ASSA Conference in New Orleans, USA on January 5th.