Lecturer/Assistant Professor
UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
Paula's main area of research relates to the role of civil society in the planning process, looking at issues of engagement and influence. She has a broad interest in urban policy issues, is a member of the board of the European Urban Research Association (EURA), and is an Associate Editor of the journal Urban Research and Practice.
Paula is currently completing a study entitled 'Gender Equity in Irish Architecture and Planning,' supported through seed funding from UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. Data collected from architectural and planning schools, professional institutes and private and public sector workplaces has shown that there is a striking scarcity of women in the architecture and planning professions in Ireland, especially at senior level in private practice. Through the project, Paula aims to contribute to the development of strategies to maximize women’s participation in these professions.
Since the start of my academic career I have been interested in the gendered dimensions of space and place and the way in which women experience their environments differently to men. Issues around safety, women’s mobility and their role as participants in the planning process have permeated the research I’ve undertaken. As a working mum my lived experience has highlighted to me the importance of well-planned places. Neighbourhoods that have good housing, services, facilities and great open space, combined with good transport infrastructure are key requirements in making it easier to juggle the demands faced by all caregivers combining work with home life.
A particular focus of much of Paula's research is the interface between civil society and the policy process, most notably between the public and the institutions of the planning system. Other interests include the exploration of innovative approaches to managing land use and how places are shaped by various actors.
She is currently working with European colleagues through EURA on a number of projects relating to urban governance and policy. These include a project on Local State Society Relations and a working group which is focused on urban change and regional development at the margins of Europe, evaluating the effects of the EU's policy.
Paula has undertaken research on community engagement and resilience in urban neighbourhoods which suffered the effects of the economic crisis. With UCD School of Geography colleague Professor Niamh Moore Cherry she has explored children and young people's participation in the Irish planning system.
She has completed research in the following areas: community involvement in urban regeneration; the role of active citizens in neighbourhood development; the contested nature of rural development; participation, citizen capacity and the regeneration of social housing; social capital and civic engagement in rural areas; multifunctional intensive land use; and the exploration of the potential of market based instruments in land use planning. This research has been funded with research grants from the Royal Irish Academy Third Sector Research Programme, the Environmental Protection Agency and INTERREG IIIC Research Projects.
The study involves the compilation of existing data to provide a quantitative overview of the architecture and planning professions from a gender perspective. This is complemented by qualitative semi-structured interviews carried out with a small, purposive sample of 30 female architects and planners. The function of these interviews is to explore women’s experience of the planning and architectural professions in Ireland. This has included looking at entry to the profession, career progression and barriers to progression, in addition to women’s experiences in planning and architecture workplaces on a day to day basis.
The study provides complimentary research to the project 'Gender Equity in Irish Architecture,' which is led by Dr Dervla MacManus.