Geography and Environment

LSE's impressive impact on Paris climate change summit

The far-reaching impact of LSE staff and alumni is being felt in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which aims to achieve a binding and universal global agreement on climate. Among others, Professor Simon Dietz  is at the forefront of LSE research which has helped governments worldwide put a price on carbon that could curb harmful emissions and save $1 trillion annually. Read more.

LSE Unsung Hero Award goes to Geography & Environment staff member

We are delighted to announce that the LSE Unsung Hero Award has been won by Lee Mager, Undergraduate Programme Manager and Deputy Departmental Manager for LSE Geography and Environment. Lee was recognised for 'consistently performing to an exceptional standard, for working behind the scenes, and going above and beyond'. His efforts have supported both students and academics for a number of years. Read about the awards.

Major new scholarship for USA nationals to study MSc Regional & Urban Planning studies at LSE

LSE and the Department of Geography & Environment is pleased to announce the Oram-Stott-Schlusche Scholarship. This scholarship has a value of approximately £25,734, for a student who is a national of and resident in the USA to pursue the world-leading MSc Regional & Urban Planning Studies programme. How to apply for the scholarship.

LSE academic becomes Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Sylvia Chant, Professor of Development Geography at LSE, has been made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences following a process of peer review for the excellence and impact of her work. The Academy, which exists to promote social science in the United Kingdom for the public benefit, described Professor Chant as ‘a world-leading figure in international social science, helping to stake out the field of gender and development’. Read more.

Professor Michael Wise, CBE, MC

It is with great sadness that the Department of Geography and Environment marks the passing of Emeritus Professor Michael Wise. Michael was appointed as Lecturer in Geography at LSE in 1951 and rapidly rose through the ranks. He was Convenor of the LSE Geography Department, and achieved the rare distinction of being President of all three UK geographical societies. He was made an Honorary Fellow of LSE in 1988 in recognition of his services to the School.

Read obituary / leave condolences.

Read full obituary in the Independent.

LSE Geography and Environment tops university tables

The LSE Department of Geography and Environment has been ranked 1st in the UK in the latest Guardian subject tables. This follows success in the QS World University rankings, which put the Department 2nd internationally. A range of measures contribute to the rankings, including student satisfaction, academic reputation and career prospects.

View the Guardian table / View the QS table.

VIDEO: The Power of Ideas: a discussion with David Harvey

David Harvey's work on geography, social theory, urban political economy and capitalism has shaped academic debate for decades. He is one of the most cited social scientists in the world, and his works have been translated into multiple languages. Here, shortly before receiving an Honorary Degree from LSE, Harvey joins a panel of experts including Michael Storper (LSE) and Jane Wills (QMUL) to explore his ideas - and alternative views.

VIDEO: Can the ‘weight of evidence’ on impacts shape the future of international migration?

Migration has generally yielded economic benefits in terms of labour market outcomes, the fiscal position, innovation, trade and growth. However, concerns about a limited ‘absorptive capacity’ of host societies are growing. Jacques Poot is joined by Jonathan Wadsworth and Andrés Rodríguez-Pose to examine how the weight of the scientific evidence can assist policymakers to respond to these challenges.

VIDEO: Natural Capital: valuing the planet

In the face of the global, local, and national destruction of biodiversity and ecosystems, economist Dieter Helm (Oxford) offers a crucial set of strategies for establishing natural capital policy that is balanced, economically sustainable, and politically viable. 

VIDEO: Why Cities Succeed and Fail Today

How well a city will cope with new opportunities and challenges relies on economic specialisation, human capital formation, and institutional factors. World-leading economic geographer Michael Storper is joined by co-authors Thomas Kemeny and Naji Makarem to challenge many conventional notions about economic development and sheds new light on its workings.

VIDEO: Quality of Life in Urban China: economic growth and the environment

Professor Matthew Kahn (UCLA), a world-leading expert on environmental and urban issues, examines China’s economic growth to present key findings from his latest research. The event was chaired by LSE's Professor Steve Gibbons.

VIDEO: Inequality in the 21st Century

A day-long conference with Thomas Piketty, whose Capital in the Twenty-First Century has been of great significance in shaping debates about inequality across the globe. This fascinating workshop features talks from experts including Gareth A. Jones of the Department of Geography & Environment (session 3).

VIDEO: Inequality and the 1%: what goes wrong when the rich become too rich

Danny Dorling (Oxford) looks at economic inequality. Today, the richest 1% take more and more, even while the other 99% are becoming more equal. What exactly is it about inequality that causes most harm?

AUDIO: Housing: Where Will We All Live?

The governor of the Bank of England recently warned that the overheated housing market represents the "biggest risk" to the country’s long-term recovery. BBC Home Affairs editor Mark Easton asks an expert panel - including LSE's Professor Paul Cheshire - why this country has failed to build enough affordable homes and looks at what can be done to solve our housing crisis.

LSE Geography and Environment tops university tables

The LSE Department of Geography and Environment has been ranked 1st in the UK in the latest Guardian subject tables. This follows success in the QS World University rankings, which put the Department 2nd internationally. A range of measures contribute to the rankings, including student satisfaction, academic reputation and career prospects.

View the Guardian table / View the QS table.

Geography & Environment students lead the way at LSE Research Festival 2015

The new LSE competition for PhD students, entitled Strictly Come Researching, was dominated by Geography & Environment students, with 2 of the 3 winners from the Department. Christopher Suckling and Pablo Navarrete were selected for their 'fresh, original and insightful research'. The winners took part in video interviews with Professor Conor Gearty as part of the LSE Research Festival 2015. Watch now.

Geography & Environment academics recognised at annual Teaching Excellence Awards

Alan Mace, Neil Lee, and PhD candidates Meredith Whitten and Jordana Ramalho have all been Highly Commended at the Student Led Teaching Excellence Awards 2015, while Simon Dietz, Alice Evans, Ashley Gorst and Ganga Shreedhar have been recognised by the School. A number of staff members were nominated in a range of categories, reflecting their great efforts to share their enthusiasm for their subject with current students. Read more.

LSE Department of Geography and Environment ranked 1st in UK for quality of research publications

We are delighted to announce that the department has been ranked 1st overall in the UK for quality of published research (output), and 4th overall when including research impact and research environment.

Double award success for LSE PhD students

LSE's Davide Luca has been awarded the Gündüz Atalık Young Researcher Prize for the best contribution in regional science for his paper on 'Votes and Regional Economic Growth in Turkey' (read more).

Meanwhile fellow PhD student Pablo Navarrete won the Academy of Economics and Finance prize for the best PhD paper in Economics, for work on policy approaches to waste-picking in Santiago de Chile.

LSE academic becomes Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Sylvia Chant, Professor of Development Geography at LSE, has been made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences following a process of peer review for the excellence and impact of her work. The Academy, which exists to promote social science in the United Kingdom for the public benefit, described Professor Chant as ‘a world-leading figure in international social science, helping to stake out the field of gender and development’. Read more.

17th annual BioEcon conference takes place in Cambridge

Dr Ben Groom (LSE) and Dr Andreas Kontoleon (Cambridge Land Economy) co-hosted the 17th annual BIOECON conference on the economics of biodiversity conservation (13th - 15th September 2015). The conference was held at the majestic buildings of King's College Cambridge and was attended by over 120 delegates from academia and the policy world. This year's conference theme was “Experimental and Behavioural Economics and the Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”. Read more.

London faces skyscraper pressure unless planning laws change

Scarcity of land in London could result in the capital becoming a city of residential skyscrapers unless existing planning laws are altered, according to research by Gabriel Ahlfeldt, Associate Professor of Urban Economics and Land Development at LSE. As long as outward growth is prevented by policies such as the ‘green belt’, the city will need to grow vertically as the population increases. Read more.

Responding to climate change: the challenge of policy-making when expert opinion is divided

Disagreement among social scientists means that many policy initiatives to tackle climate change remain economically contentious, despite a general consensus that the problem is real, man-made and dangerous.

LSE's Ben Groom and Mark Freeman of Loughborough have examined the difficulties associated with reaching an appropriate policy response. Read more.

LSE academic takes best paper prize for work on EU regional policy

Dr Riccardo Crescenzi (LSE) and Dr Mara Giua (Roma Tre University) won the Competition for the Best Paper at the ‘Challenges for the New Cohesion Policy’ Conference, organised by the Presidency of the European Union, together with the European Commission DG REGIO and the Regional Studies Association (RSA). Read more.