Mark Lemon

Professor Mark Lemon

Job: Professor of Integrated Environmental Systems

Faculty: Computing, Engineering and Media

School/department: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Research group(s): Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD)

Address: IESD, Queens Building, 私房俱乐部, Leicester, LE1 9BH UK

T: +44 (0)116 257 7977

E: mlemon@dmu.ac.uk

W: www.dmu.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/iesd/index.aspx

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Publications and outputs

dc.title: Building Equality: A 鈥淟itmus Test鈥� for Recognising and Evidencing Inequalities and Segregation in the Built Environment dc.contributor.author: Crilly, Michael; Varna, Georgiana; Vemury, Chandra Mouli; Lemon, Mark; Mitchell, Andrew dc.description.abstract: The current convergence of global challenges, particularly the climate change emergency, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement, have highlighted the need for a new lens to challenge and interrogate key urban planning assumptions related to spatial urban inequality. Yet urban inequality is often and invariably described from a limited economic perspective, commonly interpreted and measured as income inequality. This is an overtly statistical measure, or Gini-Type index, often giving limited and unsatisfactory results. Yet, in practice, the spatial distribution and concentration of income inequality is a multi-scalar, multi-variant, and multi-disciplinary issue and has links with other and wider dimensions of inequality and well-being. As such, this article argues for a holistic understanding of urban inequality that goes beyond narrow empirical and quantitative models. It presents collaborative research that aims to impact the actions of urban professionals, to accurately identify and adequately respond to urban inequalities. Through the establishment of an interdisciplinary expert panel, we have uncovered a series of provisional mechanisms and responses to aid practitioners to achieve more spatial equality. We introduce an integrated analytical method, the 鈥渓itmus test,鈥� that acts as a planning tool for understanding, evaluating, and responding to inequalities and segregation present in the built environment. This novel methodology and procedural framework will assist us in (a) identifying and defining different forms of inequality and segregation beyond the current scope of physical and agency-based forms; (b) measuring and demonstrating the latter with a combination of qualitative, empirical sources that are materially significant in supporting and evidencing planning strategies; and (c) setting out a series of planning and built environment specific responses. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Pedagogy for the City as an Emergent Cognitive System for Sustainability dc.contributor.author: Mitchell, Andrew; Mazhar, Muhammad U.; Ayesh, Aladdin; Lemon, Mark; Painter, Birgit dc.description.abstract: In this short paper, we develop the case for moving away from the concept of a smart city in which the focus tends to be on shifting managerial responsibility onto computers. We offer the alternative conception of the city as an ecosystem, a complex adaptive system, and draw upon the biology of cognition to construe cognition as the skilful adaptation to living sustainably. Such skilful adaptations necessitate human operators and managers themselves to both develop necessary systemic redundancy to withstand future shocks, but also to acquire skills in multi-faceted domains and disciplines, including the use of Artificial Intelligence, to simulate future scenarios and to plan accordingly. To attain such skills and competencies, we briefly outline a viable and relevant transdisciplinary pedagogy for future city managers to develop smart sustainable cities. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Biophilic Design Patterns for Primary Schools dc.contributor.author: Ghaziani, Rokhshid; Lemon, Mark; Atmodiwirjo, P dc.description.abstract: Abstract: Existing frameworks for biophilic design have similar strategies and attributes as useful checklists for designers; however, the focus has been on adults rather than children, and there remains the need for more guidance related to school design by extension. The application of biophilia would be a design resolution in schools because of its impact on children鈥檚 health and well-being, which has been more important since the pandemic started; however, it remains quite unexplored in school design in many countries, including the UK. Biophilic design patterns can be used in school buildings and grounds for greater connectivity between spaces and nature in order to promote children鈥檚 well-being. This paper focuses on ten biophilic design patterns under two categories of 鈥榥ature in the space鈥� and 鈥榥atural analogues.鈥� This study presents the findings of case studies in various countries. The analysis focuses on the manifestations of biophilia to inform the application of biophilic design patterns for primary schools. Finally, this paper suggests how primary school children could be involved in a co-design process in order to evaluate biophilic design patterns. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: The Transition of Dutch Social Housing Corporations to Sustainable Business Models for New Buildings and Retrofits dc.contributor.author: Lambrechts, Wim; Mitchell, Andrew; Lemon, Mark; Mazhar, Muhammad Usman; Ooms, Ward; van Heerde, Rikkert dc.description.abstract: success factors for the transition to sustainable business models for new buildings and retrofits. Results show that there are four key attributes for a successful transition process: collaboration (both with supply chain partners as well as other social housing associations); continuous innovation; vision; and the role of the government (including subsidies and fiscal regulations). While economic performance was an important boundary condition, sustainability was not always seen as a strategic organizational objective, a finding that might be explained through considering the legacy of social housing corporations. Furthermore, a number of barriers were identified including the need for customer acceptance, a lack of support from the construction sector and government and macroeconomic factors such as increased construction costs. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Learning How to Learn in Sustainability Transitions Projects: The Potential Contribution of Developmental Evaluation dc.contributor.author: Lemon, Mark; Mitchell, Andrew dc.description.abstract: Background: Community-based sustainability transitions projects are increasingly being considered for their potential as policy delivery vehicles for the UK government Climate Change Act commitments. At the same time, project funders seek reassurances that their investments are relevant in helping communities mitigate, and adapt to, the effects of climate change. Despite this increased pressure, recent research suggests that evaluations of such sustainability transitions projects have, on the one hand variable impacts, or impacts that are of an inadequate scale, duration, or type, or on the other, that project staff lack the capacity or resources to undertake monitoring and evaluation to the degree of rigour expected by policy makers and funders. Purpose: This article reports on an extended case study of a fully-funded five year community-based sustainability transitions project in Leicestershire, England. In particular, it reviews the deployment of developmental evaluation (DE) methods in an attempt to capture the project team鈥檚 learning about doing community-based sustainability work. dc.description: open access journal
dc.title: Drivers and Barriers to the Take Up of Floating Offshore Wind Technology: A Comparison of Scotland and South Africa dc.contributor.author: Kubiat, U; Lemon, Mark dc.description.abstract: : Offshore wind could both play a significant role in decarbonising the global energy system and supporting the energy needs of cities. Recent trends in offshore wind have seen the installation of turbines in deeper and more remote waters due to the presence of stronger and more consistent wind resources. This has led to the development of floating foundations for turbine mounting in water depths above 40 m, where conventional bottom-fixed foundations are not considered economically feasible. However, due to its emerging nature, floating wind must attain market maturity to be considered cost competitive. It is a widely accepted belief that market expansion yields technological maturity. Therefore, this paper adopts a systems approach to investigate the viability of floating offshore wind power generation in Scotland and South Africa. It does this through a content analysis of relevant secondary documentation, including policy documents, industry reports, press releases, online publications, and databases to determine the drivers and barriers of floating wind in the case contexts. The key findings are that substantial technical potential is required to attract floating wind investments, political support is necessary in order to scale up, a strong offshore wind supply chain could cushion the high-cost effects of floating wind projects, and more innovative business models such as corporate Power Purchasing Agreements could serve as social drivers for such projects. The main contextual conclusions drawn from this paper are that Scotland鈥檚 inaugural floating wind projects benefitted from the Scottish government鈥檚 Renewable Obligation scheme, however its discontinuation threatens the prospects of future projects. Alternatively, South Africa鈥檚 technical potential, coupled with its government鈥檚 healthy appetite for renewable energy development, could see the take up of this technology in the near future, with corresponding benefits for more sustainable energy in densely populated areas, compliant with SDG 7 dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Learning from the Anthropocene: Adaptive Epistemology and Complexity in Strategic Managerial Thinking dc.contributor.author: Mitchell, Andrew; Lemon, Mark; Lambrechts, Wim dc.description.abstract: Turbulence experienced in the business and social realms resonates with turbulence unfolding throughout the biosphere, as a process of accelerating change at the stratigraphic scale termed the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is understood as a multi鈥恉imensional limit point, one dimension of which concerns the limits to the lineal epistemology prevalent since the Age of the Enlightenment. This paper argues that future conditions necessitate the updating of a lineal epistemology through a transition towards resilience thinking that is both adaptive and ecosystemic. A management paradigm informed by the recognition of multiple equilibria states distinguished by thresholds, and incorporating adaptive and resilience thinking is considered. This paradigm is thought to enhance flexibility and the capacity to absorb influences without crossing thresholds into alternate stable, but less desirable, states. One consequence is that evaluations of success may change, and these changes are considered and explored as likely on鈥恎oing challenges businesses must grapple with into the future. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Learning How to Learn in Sustainability Transitions Projects: The Potential Contribution of Developmental Evaluation dc.contributor.author: Mitchell, Andrew; Lemon, Mark dc.description.abstract: Background: Community-based sustainability transitions projects are increasingly being considered for their potential as policy delivery vehicles for the UK government Climate Change Act commitments. At the same time, project funders seek reassurances that their investments are relevant in helping communities mitigate, and adapt to, the effects of climate change. Despite this increased pressure, recent research suggests that evaluations of such sustainability transitions projects have, on the one hand variable impacts, or impacts that are of an inadequate scale, duration, or type, or on the other, that project staff lack the capacity or resources to undertake monitoring and evaluation to the degree of rigour expected by policy makers and funders. Purpose: This article reports on an extended case study of a fully-funded five year community-based sustainability transitions project in Leicestershire, England. In particular, it reviews the deployment of developmental evaluation (DE) methods in an attempt to capture the project team鈥檚 learning about doing community-based sustainability work. Setting: A funded community-based sustainability transitions project in a south Leicestershire market town. Intervention: Developmental evaluation methods were used to capture project-based learning as a resource for project innovation and adaptation. Research Design: Phronetic case study. Data Collection and Analysis: Participant-observation, action research, focus and special issue group facilitation. Findings: Use of a developmental evaluation method identified key learning points for the project actors; these focused on how the project had adapted to the complexities of the operating environment through innovations in second-order learning or learning how to learn. The paper makes recommendations for the design and funding arrangements of community-based sustainability transitions initiatives and developmental evaluation is endorsed as a viable and promising adjunct to more traditional impact, economic, and process evaluation methodologies. dc.description: open access journal
dc.title: Reconfiguring Household Management in Times of Discontinuity as an Open System: The Case of Agro-food Chains dc.contributor.author: Sajeva, Maurizio; Mitchell, Andrew; Lemon, Mark dc.description.abstract: This article is based upon a heterodox approach to economics that rejects the oversimplification made by closed economic models and the mainstream concept of 鈥榚xternality.鈥� This approach re-imagines economics as a holistic evaluation of resources versus human needs, which requires judgement based on understanding of the complexity generated by the dynamic relations between different systems. One re-imagining of the economic model is as a holistic and systemic evaluation of agri-food systems鈥� sustainability that was performed through the multi-dimensional Governance Assessment Matrix Exercise (GAME). This is based on the five capitals model of sustainability, and the translation of qualitative evaluations into quantitative scores. This is based on the triangulation of big data from a variety of sources. To represent quantitative interactions, this article proposes a provisional translation of GAME鈥檚 qualitative evaluation into a quantitative form through the identification of measurement units that can reflect the different capital dimensions. For instance, a post-normal, ecological accounting method, Emergy is proposed to evaluate the natural capital. The revised GAME re-imagines economics not as the 鈥榙ismal science,鈥� but as one that has potential leverage for positive, adaptive and sustainable ecosystemic analyses and global 鈥榟ousehold鈥� management. This article proposes an explicit recognition of economics nested within the social spheres of human and social capital which are in turn nested within the ecological capital upon which all life rests and is truly the bottom line. In this article, the authors make reference to an on-line retailer of local food and drink to illustrate the methods for evaluation of the five capitals model. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
dc.title: Using the LM3 method to evaluate economic impacts of an on-line retailer of local food in an English market town dc.contributor.author: Mitchell, Andrew; Lemon, Mark dc.description.abstract: The paper presents a case study of an on-line retailer of locally-sourced food and drink to explore its local economic impacts on an English East Midland market town. The analysis is based on the LM3 survey method which tracks the value of an investment for a local economic area. While the findings suggest a positive impact, the reliability of third round data is disputed, and generates approximations rather than precise indicators of added economic value. In acknowledgement of this limitation, two approaches to working with round three data are compared. The paper concludes with recommendations for using this method in future research, as well as suggestions that might inform the development of a local or regional sustainable and resilient economic development policy framework. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Research interests/expertise

Systems thinking and education for sustainability, integrated environmental systems, integrative methods and transdisciplinary skills; modern methods of construction; trust and knowledge in socio-technical systems.

Areas of teaching

Research methods

Resource Use and Pollution

Resource Efficient Design

Systems and sustainable development

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Sussex University (1973)

PhD Cranfield institute of Technology (1991)

Courses taught

Masters by Research

MSc Climate Change and Sustainable Development

MSc Industrial Sustainability

BSc. Energy and Sustainability Management

Contributions to various cross-campus courses

Membership of external committees

Faculty of Technology Ethics Committee

University Research Training Committee

Membership of professional associations and societies

Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA) 1994

Conference attendance

McCain, H., Lemon, M. and Ford, P. (2009), Enhancing the Receptivity and Skills of Designers and Product Planners to Environmentally-Considered Product Development, International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, 10 & 11 September 2009, University of Brighton.

McCain, H. and Lemon, M. (2009) Sector Comparisons in the Adoption of Eco-Design: Product Development and Retail Design SME’s. , UK Sustainable Innovation 09, Towards a Low Carbon Innovation Revolution, 26th - 27th October 2009, Farnham Castle, UK

Finnigan, T. Lemon, M. Allen, B. and Paton, I. (2010) Mycoprotein, Life Cycle Analysis and the Food 2030 Challenge, Delivering Food Security with Supply Chain Led Innovations: understanding supply chains, providing food security, delivering choice, Royal Holloway, Egham, UK 7-9th Sept.

Finnigan, T. Lemon, M. Allen, B. and Paton, I. (2010) A scoping study towards an LCA for QuornTM mince, V11 International Conference on on Life Cycle Assessment in the Food Sector, Bari 22-24th September

Cook, D., Lemon, M. And Reeves, A. (2011) Hurdles on the way to the starting gate – the going’s good as long as we don’t fall at the water jump: a 3rd sector organisation delivering in partnership with local authorities, KTP Associates Conference Brighton, May.

Reeves, A. Lemon, M., and Cook, D. (2011), Local support for community action on climate change: lessons from the Communities Cutting Carbon project, KTP Associates Conference Brighton, May.

Gill, D. Wright, L. And Lemon M. (2011) Corporate Social Responsibility and Branding with Web Forum Research in the Retail Food and Drinks Sector” at the 7th International Conference of Brand, Identity and Corporate Reputation, Academy of Marketing Special Interest Group, Said Business School, University of Oxford, 6-8 April.

Gill, D. Wright, L. And Lemon M. (2011) “Brand Communications and CSR”, Academy of Marketing, Marketing Fields Forever conference, Liverpool University, 4th July

Consultancy work

Marlow Foods - Quorn (2009) Life Cycle Assessment of Mycoprotein - (£20,000) (Co-Investigator)

Independent project evaluator on AquaStress (2009) – EU research project (Lisbon)

Advisor toEPSRCResponsive Mode; Design Dialogues: An exploratory study of design narratives, methodologies and tools towards achieving Factor 10 outcomes []. (2008-09)

Environment Agency (2008) Evaluating the effectiveness of risk based decisions in the Environment Agency (Co-Investigator – £70,000)

Expert panel member for BT and Cisco on Corporate Sustainability (2008) White Paper (http://www.connect-world.com/PDFs/white_papers/a_new_mindset_wp_en.pdf)

TSB (2007) Methodology consultant for English Partnerships on Design for Manufacture projects

Yorkshire Forward (2006) Evaluator of Environmental Assets Projects (with CarlBro Consultants) (Principal investigator)

EU (2003) Advisor on qualitative and integrative research methods employed on the EU’s Aquadapt water management project.

EU (2003) Advisor on the use of qualitative and action research undertaken for understanding Social Exclusion and Learning with Newcastle, Gateshead, Rotterdam and Malmo Councils

Health and Safety Executive (2003) Human factors and organisational culture advisor to an HSE project on Distributive Cognition and offshore accidents. With Bath University (Co-investigator)

Victim Care (2001-02) Evaluator for the Youth Justice Board on the implications for Restorative Justice of the Milton Keynes Victim Care Project

EMTA (2000) Evaluation of the options for personal development among NVQ trainers and assessors (Engineering and Marine Training Association) (Principal Investigator - £6,000)

Lafarge Aggregates (2000) Evaluation of the potential responses to the learning requirements of call centre staff, particularly at the interface with technical personnel (Principal Investigator - £10,000)

Current research students

Quality management in Libyan Secondary Schools - Hania Ali (2013, ft, 1^st supervisor)

Technology transfer and clean water – a case study of Ghana - Dzokoto Seth Theodore Kwasi (2012, f/t, 2^nd supervisor)

-A Systems Analysis and Development of the Potentials of Local Renewable Energy Systems For Rural Services in Nigeria - Onasanya Mobolaji (2011, f/t 2^nd supervisor)

Social media and local economic development in Niger - Sidiki Diakite (2009, p/t 1^st supervisor)

Community engagement and energy efficient households - Andy Stephenson (2008 p/t, 1^st supervisor)

Evaluation and transition towns - Andy Mitchell (2013 f/t 1^st supervisor)

Low cost housing in VietNam - Matt Parks (2014 p/t 1^st supervisor)

Specialist banks and local economic development in environmentally vulnerable areas Abdo Hamed - (2015 f/t 1^st supervisor)

Multi-national use of local resources: ensuring resilience in the Niger Delta Ashiedu Joel - (2015 f/t 1^st supervisor)

Smart Cities and energy management Marouane Azenoude – (2015 f/t 1^st supervisor)

Externally funded research grants information

DEFRA Football as a conduit for pre-environmental behaviour £151,000 (PI) – Project delayed due to DEFRA funding strategy – with Leicester City Football Club and Leicestershire and Rutland Football Association

EPSRC Reduction of Energy Demand in Buildings through Optimal Use of Wireless Behaviour Information (Wi-be) Systems (CI) £500,000 – with Nottingham University and Queen Mary College, London 2010 – 2012

EPSRC Complexity and Energy programme (CASCADE) £1,200,000 (CI) – with Cranfield University 2009 - 2012

Knowledge Transfer Partnership KTP – Communicating Climate Change with Rural Community Council (2010-12) PI

Knowledge Transfer Partnership KTP – Sustainable strategies in hospitals (2011-13) CI with Scarborough Hospital Trust

TSB Retrofit with East Midlands Housing Association, Newcastle City Council (Phase 1) with Newcastle City Council and East Midlands Housing Group

TSB Retrofit with East Midlands Housing Association, Newcastle City Council (Phase 2) with Newcastle City Council and East Midlands Housing Group

UKERC Incluesev network (2011) Funding for workshop and reports on the role of retrofit in addressing the gap between social housing and energy poverty (£5,000) (PI)

Construction INet (2011) Mass Customisation to Retrofit UK Housing (CI) (£75000)

Internally funded research project information

Co-ordinator of IESD contribution to the Square Mile Project and the ‘Living Lab’.

Professional esteem indicators

Independent project evaluator on AquaStress (2009) – EU research project (Lisbon).

Advisor toEPSRCResponsive Mode; Design Dialogues: An exploratory study of design narratives, methodologies and tools towards achieving Factor 10 outcomes. (2008-09).

Expert panel member for BT and Cisco on Corporate Sustainability (2008) White Paper (http:/www.connect-world.com/PDFs/white_papers/a_new_mindset_wp_en.pdf).

TSB (2007) Methodology consultant for English Partnerships on Design for Manufacture projects.

External PhD Examiner: Cranfield, Newcastle, Manchester Metropolitan, Coventry, Alicante universities.

Associate Editor: Environmental Sciences – Journal of Integrative Environmental Research and Design Principles and Practices.

Reviewer for among others International Journal of Sustainable Development, British Academy of Management, Environment International, Technovation, Environmental Sciences, Waste Management Research, The Environmentalist, Team Performance and Management, FQS, Building Research and Information, Journal of Integrative Environmental Research and Design Principles and Practices.

Visiting Professor of Sustainable Development at University Campus Suffolk.

External reviewer for the the School of Environment, Development and International Studies (EDIS) at the Open University.

Ongoing Research Projects

Internal HEIF project Transformative learning for the public good – an integrative approach to sustainable community development (£20,000, Principal Investigator)

KTP – Towards a more energy efficient asset management strategy with emhhomes (£126,000 Principal Investigator) continuation from the earlier KEP

Big Lottery funded Sustainable Harborough, (£57,000 to 私房俱乐部 Principal Investigator)

Completed Research Projects

British Council – Newton Fund (Completed 2016) Co-design for low cost low energy housing: A comparison between the UK and Peru. (£30,000 Principal investigator)

GoodDee2ds: (completed 2015) Digitally engaging & empowering employees for energy demand reduction (£180,000 Co-Investigator)

EU funded CoDes (completed 2015) Education for Sustainable Development (Principal investigator)

EU funded Eracobuild project (completed 2013) on the development of an integrated method for evaluating energy efficiency in domestic dwellings – with Parity Projects (Principal investigator);

Chesshire Lehman (2015) energy and the voluntary sector (£5,000 Co-investigator)

HEIF funded KEP project with East Midlands Housing Group (2012) Towards a new business strategy for low carbon social housing (Lead academic) (£126,000, Principal investigator)

Knowledge Transfer Partnership KTP (2010) – Communicating Climate Change (Lead academic) with Leicestershire and Rutland Rural Community Council (£126,000 Principal investigator).

KTP – (2011) Sustainable energy and water systems - Trust (£126,000 Co-Investigator) with Scarborough Hospital

UKERC Incluesev network (2011) Funding for workshop and reports on the role of retrofit in addressing the gap between social housing and energy poverty (£5,000 Principal investigator)

EPSRC – (2010 - 2012) Reduction of Energy Demand in Buildings through Optimal Use of Wireless Behaviour Information (Wi-be) Systems (£597,000 Co-investigator).

EPSRC (2010 - 2013) Complex Adaptive Systems, Cognitive Agents and Distributed Energy (CASCADE) (£1,200,000 Co-investigator).

Construction INet (2011) Mass Customisation to Retrofit UK Housing (£75000, Co-Investigator)

TSB Retrofit (2010) Two projects with East Midlands Housing Association and Newcastle City Council (Phase 2) (Co-Investigator)

TSB Retrofit (2010) Two projects with East Midlands Housing Association, Newcastle City Council (Phase 1) (Co-Investigator).

EU – Asia Link (2008) MI-EIS - Management and implementation of enterprise information systems (China, Netherland and UK University partners)

EPSRC (2007) Awareness and understanding of complexity science principles for real world research EP/DO33667/1 (final report tending to outstanding) (£70,000) (Co-Investigator)

Lead (PI) on three ESRC PhD Case awards (2000-07)

BT (2000) Exploration of different cultural archetypes - organisational ‘shapes’ - for undertaking Research and Development (Principal Investigator)

BT (2000) Visiting research fellow investigating organisational culture, rules and measures as they affect customer service (Principal Investigator - £3,000)

EU (1996-00) Policy relevant models of the Natural and Anthropogenic Dynamics and their Spatio-Temporal Manifestations (Env4-CT95-0159 Archaeomedes II)

EU (1996-98) Environmental Response of Mediterranean Systems (Env4-CT95-0181 ERMES II)

EU (1998) New competencies for sustainable tourism in natural protected areas: a case study of the Peak Park. (Leonardo) (Principal Investigator - £7,000)

EU (1995-96) Cultural and Natural Heritage – Environmental Perception and Policy Making (EV5V-CT94-0846 EPPM)

EU (1991-94) Understanding natural and anthropogenic causes of desertification in the Southern Mediterranean (EV5V-0021 Archaeomedes I)