Silvia Gullino

Associate Professor in City Making

School of Engineering and the Built Environment - BE

Email:: silvia.gullino@bcu.ac.uk

Silvia holds a BA and MA in Architecture and an MSc in Environmental Engineering, both from the Politecnico di Torino. She gained her PhD in Spatial Planning at the Politecnico di Milano in 2005 and conducted postdoctoral research as a Senior Fellow in International Urban Studies at the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Since 2007, she has held academic positions at Kingston University, King’s College London, University College London and Salford University.

Silvia joined Birmingham City University in 2017. She is currently Associate Professor in City Making in the Department for the Built Environment, where she teaches several modules of the MA Planning Built Environments course (Placemaking, Development Project and Professional Practice).

Since 2020, she has led the Planning and Real Estate Team.

Areas of Expertise

Qualifications

Memberships

Teaching

Research

As scholar with an interdisciplinary background in spatial planning, architecture and urban policies, her research builds on over a decade of inter and multidisciplinary experience across different university institutions in Italy, US and UK. Her research relates to policies and practices of city and community development, with a focus on networks and self-organised groups, and alternative views on the city in relation to societal challenges like: inequalities, digital technologies, climate change, housing shortage, health and wellbeing. Her research addresses debates about people’s different experiences of, and engagement with, the urban environment. Specifically, it explores interdisciplinary debates between spatial planning, governance and collaborative, community-led initiatives aiming at making cities more inclusive and sustainable.

Her current research focuses on handmade, self-organised community practices, digital mediated local projects (civic crowdfunding and social streets) and civic activism. Silvia has received funding from the British Council, the EU, Compagnia di San Paolo and Weston Garfield Foundation.

Awards and external recognitions:

The Planner Women of Influence 2021
Design Council Built Environment Expert
Advisor on Public Space for City Space Architecture
Research reviewer for European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Association)
Research reviewer for the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP)
Research reviewer for the Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR)

Research Projects:

2021	Gullino S., Shelbourn M. and Morton N. ‘Digital Inclusion: more than just getting a laptop?’, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Birmingham City University, £4807.90
2021	Gullino S. and Matthew C. ‘The Social Street case in Italy: an insight to re-think UK city centres’, Graduate +, Birmingham City University £400
2020	Gullino S. ‘Podcasting: supporting students’ learning experience and enabling innovative practices among academic staff’, Birmingham City University, £ 3373.98
2019	Gullino S., Up to 4 scholarships to students attending the Summer School ‘Commons’ spaces and the city. From community to design agencies’ (Universita’ di Pavia, September 2019), £2,550
2019	Gullino S., funding support to 5 students attending the Summer School ‘Commons’ spaces and the city. From community to design agencies’ (Universita’ di Pavia, September 2019), £750+
2019	Gullino S. Workshop on: ‘Commoning the City, Reflecting on the learning from contemporary European urban practices’ (Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 28-30 October 2019), £700
2019	Gullino S. ‘Student Parents in University Project’, Students Engagement Fund, Birmingham City University, £1,000
2018	Gullino S., Studentship for PhD student, Birmingham City University, STEAM studentships, £17,000

Invited honorary affiliation:

2006-present	Member of International Urban Fellows Association, Johns Hopkins University
2013-16	Honorary Contract with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
2013-16	Visiting Research Fellow, King’s College London (Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering)
2015	Bartlett Visiting Research Fellowship – University College London (Grand Challenge theme on Human Wellbeing)
2007	Visiting Researcher, King’s College London (Geography Department)

Postgraduate Supervision

Publications

Podcasts

Gullino, S. et al. Drivers of Change. [online] SoundCloud, (2021). Available at: https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/sets/drivers-of-change

Gullino, S. and Pacchi, C., 2021. Episode 1: Coworking Spaces. [online] SoundCloud. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/coworking-spaces-bcu-planning?in=birmingham-city-university/sets/drivers-of-change

Gullino, S. and Shtebunaev S., 2021. Episode 2: Youth and Planning. [online]SoundCloud.Availableat:https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/youth-and-planning-bcu-planning?in=birmingham-city-university/sets/drivers-of-change

Gullino, S. and Hardman M., 2021. Episode 3: Urban Gardening. [online] SoundCloud. Availableat:https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/episode-3-urban-gardening?in=birmingham-city-university/sets/drivers-of-change

Gullino, S., Rivera H. et al., 2021. Episode 4: High Street under pressure. [online] SoundCloud. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/high-street-under-pressure?in=birmingham-city-university/sets/drivers-of-change

Gullino, S. and Wall E., 2021. Episode 5: Urban Markets - Elephant and Castle. [online] SoundCloud. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/urban-markets-elephant-and-castle

Gullino, S. and Cerulli C., 2021. Episode 6: Community-led Housing. [online] SoundCloud. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/birmingham-city-university/community-led-housing

Journals

Gullino, S. and Seetzen, H. and Pacchi, C. and Cerulli, C. (2019) Interpreting Patterns of Interaction between Civic Activism and Government Agency in Civic Crowdfunding Campaigns. Built Environment, 45 (2), pp. 248-267

Gullino S., Seetzen H. and Cerulli C. (2018), “Citizen-led micro-regeneration and the negotiation of new urban public spaces: A comparative case-study of civic crowdfunding in London”, in Bruzzese A., Chiappini L. and Fisker J.K. (eds) Alternative Spaces in the Urban Region, Routledge

Gullino S., Kaiser A., Khan H., Phillips A., Elwin A. and Edwards D. (2017) “New mothers’ experiences of the urban environment with their preterm infants involve complex social, emotional and psychological processes”, Acta Paediatrica¸ 106(3), pp.405-410.

Gullino S. (2011), “The Fluidity of Social Sustainability in spaces of movement: the case of the Art Stations in Naples, Italy”, in International Journal of Sustainable Society, 3(4), pp. 414-430.

Gullino S. (2009), “Urban regeneration and democratization of information access: CitiStat experience in Baltimore”, in Journal of Environmental Management, 90(6), pp.2012-2019.

Gullino S. (2009), “Public art in the underground stations of Naples”, in KIOSK, Kingston University, issue 03, pp. 79-84.

Gullino S. (2008b), “Mixed Communities as a Means of Achieving Sustainable Communities: a comparison between US experiences and UK policy intentions”, in Local Economy, 23(3), pp.127-135.

Gullino S. (2008a), “Urban regeneration in Baltimore: can CitiStat be one of the answers?”, in Bucher U. and Finca M., The Electronic City, Berliner Wissenschaftsverlag (BWV), Berlin, pp. 247-260. pp. 247-254

Gullino, S. (2006), “Urban regeneration between past and future strategies”. In: Morandi, C. and Gullino, S., (eds.) Milano, experiments in urban design. Limena, Italy: LibreriaClup. pp. 17-24

Gullino S. (2005), “Il Millennium Village di Greenwich a Londra. Un progetto di rigenerazione urbana sostenibile”, in Paesaggio Urbano, n.6, pp.42-55.

Gullino S. and Casati A. (2004), “Esperienze di locale strategico: Agenzie di sviluppo locale e Agenda 21 nel nord milanese”, in Territorio, n.29/30, pp.99-104.

Reports

Gullino, S. and Higgins D. (2020) et al. "Placemaking: processes and practices." [online] Available at: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/research/news-events/new-placemaking-report-on-how-to-improve-cities-and-urban-spaces-launched

Books

Gullino S., Shtebunaev S. and Wakerley E. (2021), The role of podcasting in enhancing collaborative learning practices in planning education, in Natarajan L. and Short M. Engaged Urban Pedagogy: Participatory practices for higher education in planning and place-making, UCL Press (forthcoming)

Gullino S., Haworth A. and Raco M. (2007), Urban regeneration and sustainable communities. Insights from the British experience, Milano: CLUP

Morandi C. and Gullino S. (eds) (2006), Milano, experiments in urban design, Limena, Italy: LibreriaClup

Major recent international and national conference papers

Gullino S (2021) “Unpacking the Role of Digital Tools in Local Urban Innovation: Reflecting on Civic Crowdfunding in European Cities” (with Pacchi C and Cerulli C.), University of Stavanger, Norway and Nordic Edge Expo (22 September)

Gullino, S. (2021), “Creating connected neighborhoods: lessons from the Italian ‘social streets’ for UK city centres” (with Pacchi, C. and Cerulli, C. and Matthew, C) UK Ireland Planning Research Conference, (8-10 September)

Gullino S. (2018), Civic Crowdfunding: citizen-led innovative practices in envisioning, designing and shaping the future of European Cities - AESOP Conference ‘Making Space for Hope’ (Session on Activism) with Cristina Cerulli (University of Sheffield Hallam) and Carolina Pacchi (Politecnico di Milano) (Gothenburg, 10-14 July)

Gullino S. (2015), Handmade Spaces: A South London case study highlighting the significance of informal and creative practices in the production of space (6th Global Conference on Space and Place, Inter-disciplinary Network, Oxford University, 3-5 September)

Gullino S. (2015), Re-imagining concepts of planning through the experience of people dying in cities (UCL, Bartlett Research Exchanges, 23 March)

Gullino S. (2014), Conceptual frameworks for analysing the impact of the built environment on the health of mothers and vulnerable premature babies (genderSTE, Engendering Cities, Rome 25-26 September)

Gullino S. (2014), At the crossroads: spatial planning, health and parent-led research (King’s College London, Centre for Developing Brain, 7 March)

Gullino S. (2013), From transport nodes to places: the contribution of suburban railway stations to healthy, sustainable communities. The case of Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston (with James Ritson, Kingston University), UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2013 (UWE, 11-13 September)

Gullino S. (2011), Train stations, everyday life and mobility: the fluidity of social sustainability (University of East London, Sustainable Mobilities Research Group, 7 December)

Gullino S. (2010), Grassroots organizations, eco transport and behavioural change: examples from the UK and Italy (with Dr Carolina Pacchi, Politecnico di Milano), AESOP-Association European Schools of Planning Conference (Helsinki, 7-10 July)

Gullino S. (2010), Handmade space: the social history of a small squatter community (with Dr Heidi Seetzen, Kingston University), UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference (Anglia Ruskin University, 7-9 April)

Gullino S. (2009), Public art in the underground stations of Naples: urban spaces and social sustainability, UK Ireland Planning Research Conference (Newcastle University, 1-3 April)