Richard Joseph Nunes

My research experience has been based at university research centers, non-profit organizations and academic planning departments where I have researched the topical areas of economic and regional development, including industry clusters and technology-led development. More recently my research has bridged into the area of social innovation and community-level enterprise, alternative economies and related social movements, and their role in planning for low carbon development and societal transformation. The focus of this research on community and economic development is situated at the nexus of food systems, environmental justice and urban health, where I have a particular interest in the role of informal/alternative economies and urban grassroots initiatives, especially where it concerns their influence on urban and environmental planning processes, and evidence-based practice or the politics of expertise.I am currently examining the role of urban food enterprises in climate change, food, and health policy agendas through their engagement of alternative food networks, which parallels my complimentary interests in urban coastal transformation.