The book calls for more holistic and place-based action to address the multiple and overlapping social and environmental crises impacting nations and local communities, including Australia. It outlines a Deep Place method, co-developed by Professor Adamson, as one of the tools that can be used in communities as part of a new model of regenerative collectivism to rebuild communities to tackle growing poverty and create more sustainable development. Professor Adamson has facilitated use of the method in projects in Muswellbrook and the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Professor Adamson said Deep Place and other actions outlined in the book can underpin the United Nations Decade of Action towards the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs). He said the SDGs provide governments, businesses and communities with a framework to take action to be more sustainable to benefit them and the planet.

“Place is a critical window on how to help resolve the crises,” Professor Adamson said.

“The book includes a series of case studies from the UK, Australia, and Vanuatu where the Deep Place approach has been successfully used,” he said.

“We need a real and green new deal as part of a radical new economic order to address the multifactorial global ecological crisis fuelled by the current carbon-based neoliberal capitalism models.”

“I hope the book will be of interest and use to governments and policy practitioners, academics, and social and climate justice advocates and activists.”

“The Deep Place method uses a planned approach to identify the uniqueness and key challenges faced at national, regional, city, town or neighbourhood level. It  identifies what makes places unique to create an Action Plan to revitalise communities to create equitable and sustainable places of constant renewal.

“The greatest asset of any place is its people. Connecting people and place is the starting point to create liveable and inclusive places.”

Professor Adamson is the Chair of the Australasian Housing Institute’s (AHI) Sustainability Community of Practice, a World Urban Campaign City Changer, and Member of the Hunter SDG Taskforce. He has been recognised for his contributions to the social housing sector and to broader efforts to tackle poverty and to create more sustainable development – nationally and internationally. He was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2010, partly for his work to regenerate some of the poorest communities in Europe. In the last year he was awarded both the AHI and Powerhousing awards for outstanding achievement.

Since coming to Australia in in 2015, he has developed the Toward a National Housing Strategy to unite various housing bodies and experts to call for more Federal Government action on social and affordable housing. This strategy helped to initiate the broader Everybody’s Home campaign – which Professor Adamson  has supported in various roles. He has taken a lead role in promoting and advocating the use of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and UN Habitat New Urban Agenda, including organising several Australian conferences. This year he wrote a short online course in partnership with Sentrient to help organisations and businesses to better understand the SDGs and their value in helping organisations and communities to become more sustainable.

The book will be launched in Sydney on September 10. Its authors are:

• David Adamson is an Honorary Professor at the College of Health, University of Newcastle, Australia, and Emeritus Professor at the University of South Wales, UK
• Lorena Axinte is a Research Associate at the School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, UK
• Mark Lang is an Honorary University Associate at the School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University, UK

Terry Marsden is an Emeritus Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning at the School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, UK.