From 2021 through to 2024 I explored with the Hunter Valley community what a good energy transition could look like. The primary objective of my research was to examine the role of public participation in planning the phase-out of coal mining and power generation in the Hunter, and to use this inquiry to suggest practical opportunities for designers in supporting public participation in sustainability transitions. I was awarded my PhD by UTS in early 2025.

​

In my thesis—which you can download here—I argue for a revived sensibility of public participation in the planning of sustainability transitions: one that embraces community members as valid contributors of place-based knowledge. There is a role for design here in creating and/or remaking spaces of participation so that community voices are heard, respected, and adopted in planning transitions.

 

I was generously invited by Hunter Renewal to be part of their team for my research. My supervisory team were Cameron Tonkinwise and Abby Mellick Lopes.

​​

The diagram below shows the overall process. I followed an action research methodology because it is aimed at developing understanding toward action. The two fieldwork cycles produced two reports for Hunter Renewal and Hunter Jobs Alliance (Future-proofing and the Blueprint). You can read more about my process on my Medium page.

​

​