Richard Farnell - Professor of Neighbourhood Regeneration

Richard Farnell is Professor of Neighbourhood Regeneration at Coventry University and is a member of the Applied Research Centre for Sustainable Regeneration and the Institute for Community Cohesion. He is Canon Theologian of Coventry Cathedral and is a Chartered Town Planner.

After a number of years in professional planning practice, Richard began a career in the education of professional town planners, a role he has continued as an external examiner, including the distance learning postgraduate programme in Town Planning provided by the Universities of the West of England, Leeds Metropolitan, London South Bank and Dundee.

He currently teaches on the MA in Community Cohesion, MSc in Local and Regional Economic Development, the Postgraduate Programme in Management [Urban Regeneration] and leads a programme in Managing Complex Regeneration, a partnership with RegenWM, the West Midlands Centre of Excellence for Regeneration. 

Richard's areas of interest include Neighbourhood Regeneration, Community Development, the role of faith-based organisations in community renewal and Local and Regional Economic Development. He engaged in studies, funded by local authorities, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the UK Government, on Faith communities, regeneration, community cohesion and rural community vibrancy. The role of faith-based organisations in community renewal is a major interest. He is an advisor on 'faith and cohesion' to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Richard was a member of the Policy Action Team on Community Self help, set up following the Social Exclusion Units report to the Prime Minister on Bringing Britain Together, a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal. He was Chair of the Funding Committee of the Church Urban Fund, of which he was a trustee for over 10 years . Until recently, he was also Chair of Midland Heart Ltd, with over 32,000 homes managed in the UK Midlands.