Up Our Street Dissertation Projects

Industry Based Dissertation Projects

We are giving you an exciting opportunity to apply your dissertation research to real regeneration projects that are happening right now in Birmingham through the USE-IT initiative!

During this project you will have the opportunity to see how your research impacts the wider community to turn around a deprived area of the city.

Your dissertation will remain an individual piece of work but gives you the chance to work in a facilitated multi-disciplinary team which can often spark new ideas. This dissertation option offers a connected way of learning which mirrors real work life.

Dissertations will be undertaken as normal; according to the usual practices of each participating School you and your supervisor will proceed as any other dissertation project.

There are a range of topics to choose from to suit your interests and discipline.

Background: The regeneration project

The University is working with Urban Splash, experts in managing and implementing regeneration projects across the U.K, and USE IT partners. The area Icknield Port Loop near Ladywood, the location you will be basing your dissertation projects, has recently been named among the worst for child poverty, where 78% of its population live in deprived neighbourhoods.

Urban Splash proposes to develop ‘a neighbourhood for 21st century living’ which includes building 200 new homes, developing areas of open green space and an opening a swimming pool and leisure facilities, to transform a neglected area into a vibrant area attracting families and young professionals.

Dissertation Topics

Whilst the area of Icknield Port Loop undergoes a transformation what happens to those residents that are already there? Can regeneration be enjoyed by all and can gentrification lead to integration? Will green spaces lead to social cohesion and wellbeing within the community? The topics below are being designed to help you think about all the elements that emerge from a project of this size, and will help you see a task as complex as the regeneration of Icknield Port Loop from multiple perspectives, a skill that employers value.

Food, public health and well-being
Art/culture-led regeneration
Inclusive growth
Gentrification: NIMBY or YIMBY
Engineering solutions to connect communities
Living with noise - insulating noise polluting environments
Resilient Urban Futures
Engaging Children in planning future communities

Benefits for future career prospects

Peer support network for time management of dissertation work
Development of wider knowledge through a multi-disciplinary approach
Enhancement of your employability skills benefiting from a real-life context
Raises cultural awareness and encourages interaction with Birmingham’s diverse community
Develops your understanding of how research can inform decision making and connect ideas

What to do if you are interested in a topic

Firstly consult your supervisor, if they agree that your research is a good fit for one of the topics outlined then ask them to get in touch with Roshni Barot from Careers Network straight away.

If you are interested in the initiative but would at this stage just want to find out more then, once again, get in touch with Roshni Barot from Careers Network.