Newsletter #12 September 2026

Dear GREENIN Members,

As GREENIN continues to grow, September brings further opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange and research impact across our network. In this edition, we highlight the GREENIN Workshop Call, offering funding to support collaborative workshops across the UK, alongside the successful Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop held at the University of Surrey. We also share updates from our Lunch & Learn Webinar series and showcase recent activities and achievements from across the GREENIN community.

This month, we are pleased to feature Professor Sukumār Natarājan and his expertise in environmental design, indoor environments and thermal comfort. We also celebrate Professor Prashant Kumar’s invited keynote at ICMIAM 2026 and GREENIN’s participation in the NIHR ARC Thames Valley Launch Event. New publications explore decision-making for urban thermal resilience and practical approaches to tackling air pollution in schools, while international urban greening toolkits and free CPD courses extend opportunities for learning and impact beyond the network.

“GREENIN continues to connect researchers, practitioners and wider communities through workshops, webinars, publications and collaborative activities. It is particularly encouraging to see Early Career Researchers sharing their work, new partnerships developing across health and community-focused research, and evidence being translated into practical resources. The achievements highlighted in this edition demonstrate the growing reach of our network and its contribution to healthier, more sustainable and climate-resilient environments.”

Professor Prashant Kumar
GREENIN Project Lead, University of Surrey

Launch of the GREENIN Workshop Call

GREENIN is inviting applications to host a one-day collaborative workshop focused on indoor greening, healthy buildings and indoor environmental quality. The Workshop Call offers up to £2,000 per successful proposal to support eligible organisational costs. We welcome applications from universities, research organisations, industry, SMEs, public sector organisations, charities and community groups across the UK. Workshops should promote interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement, while helping to shape future research and innovation in healthier indoor environments. Read more

Apply online: GREENIN Workshop Application Form

GREENIN PI Professor Prashant Kumar Delivers Keynote at ICMIAM 2026

Professor Prashant Kumar, GREENIN Principal Investigator and Founder of GCARE, delivered a keynote on prescribing urban greening to build climate-resilient cities at the 7th International Conference on Maintenance and Intelligent Asset Management (ICMIAM 2026). The conference took place at the University of Huddersfield from 1–3 September 2026, providing an opportunity to share research on urban greening and climate resilience with an international audience.

GREENIN Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop

The GREENIN Early Career Researcher Workshop was successfully held at the University of Surrey on 14 September 2026. Led by Dr Hao Sun under the mentorship of Professor Kumar, the workshop brought together Early Career Researchers and academics for career talks, research presentations, a panel discussion and networking. Participants shared insights, explored emerging indoor greening research and identified opportunities for future collaboration. Thank you to all our speakers, panellists and participants for their contributions and for making the event such a success. Read more

Upcoming Webinar – GREENIN Lunch & Learn Webinar #53

Don't miss our upcoming GREENIN Lunch & Learn Webinar #53. Join us to explore indoor greening research and exchange knowledge with the GREENIN community.

View webinar details and register here

Call for Speakers – GREENIN Lunch & Learn Webinar Series

We are looking for speakers to share cutting-edge research on indoor greening and healthy indoor environments with the GREENIN community. If you would like to present in a future webinar, please contact: greeninmnp@surrey.ac.uk

Past Webinar – GREENIN Lunch & Learn Webinar #52

Thank you to everyone who attended Webinar #52. If you missed the webinar, you can now watch the recording online.

Watch Webinar #52 / View previous webinars

GREENIN at the NIHR ARC Thames Valley Launch

GREENIN Project Officer Xiaohui (Helen) Wu and Associate Professor Elisa Valentim Goulart attended the NIHR ARC Thames Valley Launch Event at MK Gallery on 16 September 2026, following an invitation from GREENIN Co-Lead Professor Kam Bhui. The event explored community engagement, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE), and how research can address real-world health and societal challenges. It also provided an opportunity to build connections across health, wellbeing and community-focused research. Read more

GREENIN Core Team Spotlight: Professor Sukumār Natarājan

GREENIN is pleased to highlight Professor Sukumār Natarājan, Professor of Environmental Design at the University of Bath and a valued member of the GREENIN core team. Sukumār’s research focuses on creating healthy, comfortable and low-carbon buildings that continue to perform well into the future. His work combines theory, modelling and experimentation, with particular expertise in indoor environments and thermal comfort. Within GREENIN, Sukumār contributes to a range of activities, including webinars, rapid reviews and advisory work. His expertise supports GREENIN’s collaborative mission to strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships and advance evidence, innovation and knowledge exchange in indoor greening, helping to develop healthier, more comfortable and sustainable indoor environments. Learn more about GREENIN

New Publications

New Publication: Decision-Making for Enhancing Thermal Resilience

A new study co-authored by Professor Prashant Kumar explores how cities can strengthen thermal resilience through coordinated action across social, economic, ecological and technological systems. Drawing on expert focus groups in the UK and China, the study identifies policy and planning, economic feasibility, green infrastructure, built-environment solutions and public wellbeing as key priorities. The findings provide a framework for more integrated decision-making on urban heat adaptation and climate resilience.

Mini-Fellow Publication: Clearing the Air in Schools

GREENIN Mini-Fellow Nathalie Pearson has published a new article, Clearing the Air: Tackling Pollution in Schools, in the Cars, Streets and People special edition of Town & Country Planning. The article examines how air pollution affects children’s health, learning and wellbeing, and highlights practical measures including air-quality monitoring, improved ventilation, portable filtration, urban greening and School Streets.

Taking the Urban Greening ‘How To’ Toolkit Global

Building on the Urban Greening ‘How To’ Toolkit originally developed by the RECLAIM Network Plus for UK local authorities and practitioners, three new international toolkits have now been co-created for Ethiopia, Malawi and Nepal. Working closely with in-country partners, each toolkit focuses on three high-priority themes for local urban environments, providing practical, evidence-based guidance for planning green–blue infrastructure. This work was supported by Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding from the University of Surrey, enabling the reach and impact of the toolkit to be extended through international collaboration. Learn more about the international Urban Greening Toolkits

Level Up: Free CPD on Green, Blue and Grey Infrastructures

The RECLAIM Network is offering FREE CPD courses for a limited time on green infrastructure and healthier cities. Whether you are refreshing existing skills or exploring a new area, the courses provide an opportunity to develop your knowledge, gain a free certificate and explore practical approaches to creating healthier and greener cities. Share this opportunity with colleagues and your wider networks. Explore CPD Courses

GREENIN Community

We are delighted to see our network continue to grow.

GREENIN Network Members: 250
LinkedIn Followers: 519
X (Twitter) Followers: 17
Bluesky Followers: 54

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