Dr Stephen Parkes
Senior Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Fellow, Centre for Regional Economic & Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (CRESR)
Summary
Dr Stephen Parkes is a Senior Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. As a transport specialist, he has worked on projects covering active travel, urban infrastructure provision, autonomous vehicles, and travel behaviour change.
About
Steve is a mixed-methods researcher based within the Sustainable Futures Cluster in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. His area of expertise is transport but he has also been involved in projects across energy, just transitions, and inclusive growth. His current areas of work encompass the following:
- Active travel: Increasing levels of walking, cycling and other active modes is seen as vital component of the transition to a low-carbon transport system. Achieving behavioural changes towards active modes, underpinned by investment in supporting infrastructure is a key priority for policymakers. Steve has been involved in recent work to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Active Travel programme. In addition, he is currently completing a project studying the impacts of Covid-19 on travel behaviour in Sheffield and Lancashire (funded by the DecarboN8 Network).
- High consumers of energy and transport: This programme of work, alongside colleagues in the Sustainable Futures Cluster, is focused on a poorly understood and under researched group of households - those households that consume energy, food and transport in large quantities relative to average households. This work aims to consider the existing evidence in relation to high consumers and to explore, through qualitative and quantitative methods, the extent and nature of this group.
- Autonomous Vehicles: The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles (or driverless cars) is increasingly being discussed, with proponents heralding their multiple benefits to the transport system. Through two on-going projects, Steve is working with colleagues to explore the potential impacts of AVs on towns and cities, and in particular on other road users, including the more vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists.
Since 2019 he has been a co-editor of the journal. Prior to CRESR, Steve worked as a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Fellow in the School of Geography at the University of Nottingham working within a Leverhulme Trust funded interdisciplinary project on urban sustainability. His PhD (University of Leeds, 2011-2015) focused on the impact of disruptive events on individual travel behaviour, adopting a case-study of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
2022-2027 Active Travel Portfolio Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and Evaluation Programme. Department for Transport. Role: Project Manager.
2022-2023 Everyday travel past and present: A local case study of Sheffield, UK. Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. Role: Project Manager.
2020-2022 Local and regional responses to connected and autonomous vehicles. Regional Studies Association. Role: Project team member.
2020-2021 Understanding and engaging with high consuming households: energy, transport, food. Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. Role: Project team member.
2020-2021 Room to Move – Impacts of road-space reallocation (REMODEL). Engineering and Physical Sciences Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Council (DecarboN8 Network). Role: Project Manager.
2020-2021 Active Travel Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (South Yorkshire). South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. Role: Project team member.
2020-2021 What does a city regional just transition look like? Sheffield City Region. Role: Project team member.
2020-2021 Thematic Review of Local Government Responses to Covid-19 in the UK. Ï㽶ÊÓƵ / IGU Commission on the Geography of Governance. Role: Project team member.
2019-2021 Walking with Energy: overcoming energy invisibility through research participation, Swedish Energy Agency. Role: project manager.
2019-2020 South Yorkshire Bus Review Evidence Support. Role: project team member.
2018-2019 Economic Assessment of Assets in Community Ownership, Power to Change. Role: project team member.
2018-2019 Inclusive Growth Strategy Support, Sheffield City Region. Role: project team member.
2018-2019 The Sheffield and Rotherham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Role: project team member.
2018-2019 Sheffield City Region Active Travel Review, Sheffield City Region. Role: project team member.
2018 Metrolink Community Impact Study (led by Ipsos Mori), Transport for Greater Manchester. Role: policy input.
Publications
Journal articles
Eadson, W., Castaño Garcia, A., Parkes, S., & Butterworth, E. (2025). . European Urban and Regional Studies.
Grace, A., Leather, D., & Parkes, S. (2024). . People, Place and Policy Online, 1-3.
Parkes, S., Weston, R., & Gore, T. (2024). . Active Travel Studies, 4 (1).
Ambrose, A., Palm, J., Parkes, S., & Speake, B. (2024). . International Journal of Housing Policy, 1-20.
Gore, T., Bimpson, E., Dobson, J., & Parkes, S. (2023). Path Clearing, Policy Acceleration or Trend Reinforcement: Potential Implications of Selected Local Government Responses to Covid-19 in the UK. International Review of Public Policy, 5 (3), 313-344.
Castano Garcia, A., Ambrose, A., Hawkins, A., & Parkes, S. (2021). . Energy Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and Social Science, 80.
Parkes, S., Jopson, A., & Marsden, G. (2016). . Transportation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Part A: Policy and Practice, 92, 104-119.
Parkes, S., Marsden, G., Shaheen, S.A., & Cohen, A.P. (2013). . Journal of Transport Geography, 31, 94-103.
Conference papers
Hawkins, A., Ambrose, A., Parkes, S., Arbell, Y., Garcia, A.C., & Rafalowicz-Campbell, M. (2022). . In ECEEE Summer Study 2022, Hyeres, France, 6 June 2022 - 11 June 2022. ECEEE:
Book chapters
Ambrose, A., Palm, J., Parkes, S., & Speake, B. (2024). . In Horne, R., Ambrose, A., Walker, G., & Nelson, A. (Eds.) Post Carbon Inclusion: transitions built on justice. (pp. 36-52). Bristol: Bristol University Press:
Ambrose, A., Hawkins, A., Parkes, S., Castano Garcia, A., Arbell, Y., & Speake, B. (2024). Uneven Consumption and the Work of Being a High Consumer. In Post Carbon Inclusion: Transitions Built on Justice. Bristol University Press
Books
Parkes, S., & Ferrari, E. (2022). . Taylor & Francis.
Reports
Marson, J., Dickinson, J., & Parkes, S. (2023). London: Property Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Trust.
Ambrose, A., Rafalowicz-Campbell, M., Castano Garcia, A., Hawkins, A., & Parkes, S. (2023). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/high-consumption-in-the-uk
Gregory, M., Ferrari, E., Parkes, S., Barrett, D., Goldsmith, S., & Storey, R. (2023). DfT Active Travel portfolio evaluation - monitoring and evaluation (M&E Plan).
Batty, E., Crisp, R., Gilbertson, J., Martin, P., Pardoe, J., Parkes, S., ... Wilson, I. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Ambrose, A., Castano Garcia, A., Hawkins, A., Parkes, S., Rafalowicz-Campbell, M., & Smith, M. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/its-high-time-to-talk-about-the-climate-impacts-of-high-consumers
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-nuclear
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-insulation
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-hydrogen
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-heat-pumps
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-heat-networks
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/sector-summary-carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage-ccus
Eadson, W., Northall, P., Johnston, A., Parkes, S., Wells, P., & While, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/low-carbon-energy-supply-chains-employment-and-skills-in-south-yorkshire-headline-findings
Parkes, S., Gore, T., Weston, R., & Lawler, M. (2021). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Batty, E., Crisp, R., Gilbertson, J., Martin, P., Pardoe, J., Parkes, S., ... Wilson, I. (2021). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Ambrose, A., Parkes, S., Eadson, W., Bull, R., Thidell, Ã…., Kojonsaari, A.-.R., ... Smith, M. (2021). . Energimyndigheten. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/walking-with-energy-overcoming-energy-invisibility-through-research-participation
Eadson, W., Harris, C., Parkes, S., Dobson, J., & Dempsey, N. (2021). . Heritage Lottery Fund. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/why-should-we-invest-in-parks-evidence-from-the-parks-for-people-programme
Gregory, M., Parkes, S., Ferrari, E., & taylor, C. (2021). SCR’s Active Travel Implementation Plan monitoring and evaluation plan.
Gore, A., Bimpson, E., Dobson, J., & Parkes, S. (2021). . Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/local-government-responses-to-the-covid19-pandemic-in-the-uk-a-thematic-review
Archer, T., Parkes, S., & Speake, B. (2020). . Sheffield: Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/the-english-village-and-community-hall-survey-2020
Batty, E., Ceolta-Smith, J., Crisp, R., Gilbertson, J., Martin, P., Parkes, S., ... Scullion, L. (2020). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Gregory, M., Parkes, S., Hamilton, N., & Haake, S. (2019). SCR Active Travel Strategy Review.
Archer, T., Wilson, I., Parkes, S., Batty, E., & Harris, C. (2019). . Power to Change. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/our-assets-our-future-the-economics-outcomes-and-sustainability-of-assets-in-community-ownership