Research interests

Sandra has a strong interest in user-based perceptions, experiences and interactions with the environment. Her research has focused on exploring the choreographies of landscape experience through which individuals negotiate wellbeing, emphasising the in-depth nature of person-place interactions and the role of places in the production of ‘positive states of being’, ‘enhanced spatial awareness’ and specific identities of self. She has recently been involved in researching the attitudes of Muslim women to dress and the role of clothing in constructing identity and senses of self, a research interest that follows on from previous investigations into Muslim women’s interactions with green environments.

Publications

Coles, R., Costa, S. & Watson, S. (eds), (2018). Pathways to Well-being in Design. Examples from the arts, humanities and the built environment. Routledge 

Costa, S. and Coles, R. (2018). The Self-Narrated Walking. A User-led Method to Research People’s Experiences in Urban Landscapes. Landscape Research, pp. 526-540

Coles, R. & Costa, S. (guest editors), 2018.  Food growing in the city. Special Issue. Landscape and Urban Planning. Vol. 170, February 2018. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01692046/170/supp/C

Coles, R. & Costa, S., 2018. Food growing in the city: Exploring the productive urban landscape as a new paradigm for inclusive approaches to the design and planning of future urban open spaces. Landscape and Urban Planning, 170, pp.1-5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204617302669

Cabral, I., Costa, S. and Bonn, A. (2017). Urban gardens as multi-functional nature-based solutions for societal goals. In Kabisch, N., Bonn, A. and Stadler, J. and Korn H. (eds). Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings – Linkages between Science, Policy, and Practice. Book. Springer. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-56091-5.pdf

Coles, R., Costa, S. and Watson, S. (eds.) (2016). Co-creating Pathways to Well-being. Book of proceedings, Well-being 2016 conference. The third international conference exploring the multi-dimensions of Well-being. Birmingham City University, UK.

Costa, S., Fox-Kaemper, R., Good, R. and Séntic, I., (2016). The Position of Urban Allotments Gardens within the Urban Fabric. In Bell, S. et al. (eds). Urban Allotment Gardens in Europe. Routledge.

Costa, S., Coles, R. and Boultwood, A., (2015). Landscape Experience and the Speed of Walking. In Niin, G. and Mishra, H. (eds), ECLAS Conference 2015, Landscapes in Flux, 20-23 September 2015, Tartu, Estonia, pp.123-127.

Costa, S., Coles, R. and Boultwood, A., (2014). Special Places and Attachment as Drivers for Cultivating Well-being. In Silva, I., Marques, T. and Andrade, G., (eds), ECLAS Conference 2014, LANDSCAPE: A Place of Cultivation, 21-23 September, Porto, University of Porto, pp. 131-133.

Costa, S., Coles, R., and Boultwood, A., (2014). Walking Narratives: Interacting between Nature and Self. In Sörensen, C. and Liedtke, K. (eds) SPECIFICS: Discussing Landscape Architecture. Jovis, pp.40-43.

Contact details: Sandra.costa@bcu.ac.uk