Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research and knowledge exchange, education and student experience, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities.
Research and impact
The Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place unites academic expertise with policymakers and practitioners to advance sustainable and inclusive urban development. Its Sustainable and Resilient Cities theme promotes innovative approaches to city-building, while the Heritage research theme informs public policy, education, and sustainable tourism (11.3, 11.4, 11.b). In 2025, the University co-led Clean Air Night, in partnership with Liverpool City Council, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. By transforming live air quality data into AI-generated music, the project engaged thousands of citizens with the realities of urban air pollution (11.6, 11.7). The Heritage Institute, launched in late 2024, provides a hub for safeguarding and reimagining cultural heritage, supporting regeneration and sustainable tourism (11.4, 11.7). In July 2025, the University also joined the Liverpool Culture Network, embedding culture in city-wide planning (11.3, 11.4). Research also delivered the Neighbourhood Transformation Planning Tool with Safe Regeneration, enabling community groups to redevelop local assets such as parks and housing (11.3, 11.b). Analysis of 20-Minute Neighbourhoods in the Liverpool City Region further assessed equitable access to amenities and active travel (11.2, 11.3).
Education and student experience
Students at the University gain practical expertise in sustainable urban development and cultural heritage through coursework and applied engagement. Modules such as Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability in Architecture and Architecture and Urban Design explore sustainable construction practices and urban regeneration (11.3, 11.6). The Sustainable Urban Planning MA and Urban Design and Planning MCD equip students to tackle the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing modern cities (11.3). At postgraduate level, the Global Urbanism and Heritage MSc bridges rapid urbanisation in the Global South with heritage preservation (11.4, 11.b), while the Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage MA explores local cultural heritage’s impacts on tourism and identity (11.4). Students are also directly involved in shaping the city’s future: architecture undergraduates served on the jury panel and visited development sites for Liverpool’s new School of Architecture, collaborating closely with the studio team, university estates, and the local community in Granby and Toxteth regions, providing authentic, place-based learning connected to urban regeneration (11.3, 11.4). Through the Guild of Students, students volunteer in community projects such as urban food growing and heritage engagement at Ness Botanic Gardens, reinforcing a connection between academic learning and civic engagement (11.3, 11.4).
Sustainable campus and operations
As a civic university grounded in a global city, Liverpool embeds sustainability, inclusivity, and community access across its operations in support of SDG 11. Its heritage and cultural institutions, including the Victoria Gallery & Museum, offer free access to exhibitions, libraries, green spaces, and events that enrich civic life (11.3, 11.4). These public programmes attract around 20,000 attendees annually, while the Lunchtime Concert series in the Tung Auditorium provides world-class performances free of charge (11.4). The University further supports urban sustainability through Ness Botanic Gardens, a publicly accessible, 64-acre heritage landscape open to all under the estate’s founding trust. Ness provides educational, biodiversity, and wellbeing opportunities for thousands of visitors each year (11.3, 11.7). The University provides permanent free public access to all open and green spaces across its city-centre campus, including Abercromby Square, the Quadrangle and University Square, ensuring that our campus grounds remain welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to the wider community. In the built environment, all new construction and major refurbishments aim to meet BREEAM Excellent standards, guided by the Sustainable Built Environment Investment Framework, ensuring environmental principles are embedded from the ground up (11.6). Through sustainable travel initiatives like the Season Ticket Loan, Cycle to Work scheme, bike hire and maintenance services, and guided city cycling tours, staff and students are encouraged toward low-carbon transport modes (11.2). The annual Travel Survey provides valuable insights into travel behaviours and modal shifts, creating the evidence base for the University’s forthcoming Travel Plan, which will outline actions to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and lower emissions across the city (11.6).
Case studies
Tackling flood risk with communities in Merseyside
In 2024, researchers at the University of Liverpool launched the CONVERSE project to tackle the growing threat of flooding across Merseyside and Cheshire, an issue expected to intensify with climate change. Thousands of homes, businesses, and communities in the region have already been affected by floods, underlining the urgent need for scalable, innovative responses.
CONVERSE adopts a pioneering, community-led approach to flood risk management that directly supports (11.5) by reducing the number of people affected and the economic losses caused by disasters. The project promotes nature-based interventions such as woodland planting and “leaky dams,” adapting techniques proven elsewhere in the UK to local contexts.
A distinctive feature is its co-leadership model. For the first time under the Natural Environment Research Council’s Engaged Environmental Science programme, community members are working alongside Liverpool engineers and social scientists from the Heseltine Institute to co-design the research. This includes collaborative monitoring strategies that blend community knowledge with conventional science.
By embedding communities in governance and decision-making, CONVERSE also advances (11.b) by encouraging inclusive and participatory approaches to sustainable urbanisation. Key partners include Faiths4Change, Mersey Forest, the University of Leeds, and the Woodland Trust, exemplifying strong multi-sector collaboration.
As noted by Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC, CONVERSE demonstrates how natural solutions can protect habitats while strengthening flood resilience. With transparent reporting and active engagement, the project provides a replicable framework for sustainable flood risk management that enhances the resilience of cities and communities across the Mersey region and beyond.