Sustainability and Environment Research Institute Public Lecture

University of Chester, Sustainability and Environment Research & Knowledge Exchange Institute Public Lecture, 'Beyond caring: how places are formed through care, and the lack of it' with Dr Julian Dobson The geographer Doreen Massey describes how places are formed by the ‘throwntogetherness’ of different communities and circumstances. This talk asks how we might think of places if we consider them as sites not only of happenstance but also of care, a conscious investment of time and attention in shared wellbeing. Who is included in such care and how might it manifest itself? Drawing on recent work on the civic role of universities and on the idea of ecological citizenship, Julian Dobson considers how care and mutuality could be rebuilt in an era of fragmentation and distrust. Biography: Julian Dobson is a writer and researcher with a particular interest in place and community, developed over a career as a journalist, consultant and academic. He is based in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.