Angela is Senior Lecturer and Sustainability Lead at the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA). She is an experienced researcher whose work critically engages climate change adaptation, resilience, environmental justice and the role of the built environment in mitigating risk. With a PhD in Planning and Landscape from the University of Manchester, Dr Connelly brings a social-scientific perspective to architectural research, integrating socio-ecological, governance and technological frameworks to address contemporary challenges for practice and policy. Her research has advanced understanding of how buildings and cities respond to climate pressures such as flooding and overheating, highlighting the limitations and opportunities of current resilience strategies.

Angela’s interdisciplinary work encompasses policy-relevant contributions, including advisory roles for CIRIA flood resilience codes of practice and expert reviews for British Standards on flood resilience technologies. She actively fosters transdisciplinary dialogue between academia, industry and community stakeholders to translate research evidence into practice. Through her leadership in sustainability education at MSA, she equips future architects with critical tools to integrate resilience and climate justice into design and professional decision-making

Academic and professional qualifications

PhD Planning and Landscape (2011), University of Manchester.

MA (Econ) Political Science (2005), University of Manchester

BA (Hons) Politics (2002), University of Strathclyde

Previous Employment

2011 – 2020. Research Associate, School of Environment, Education & Development, University of Manchester.

2014 – 2016. Senior Research Associate, Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts (LICA), Lancaster University. 

Consultancy and advisory roles

  • International Reference and Advisory Group Member for ERA-NET funded project: ‘Unpacking climate impact CHAINs. A new generation of action – and user-oriented climate change risk assessments (UNCHAIN). Led by the Western Norway Research Institute (2020 – 2023).
  • Advisory Group Member, CIRIA-led Code of Practice for Flood Resilience, 2018.
  • Expert Reviewer, British Standards Institute, Review of the Standards for Flood Resilience Technologies,  2013 – 2014.
  • Equality Charter Unit, Athena SWAN, Charter Panel Member, 2015-2016.
  • Steering Group Member, Rochdale Community Resilience Pathfinder, 2013 – 2015.

Expert reviewer 

Angela is a member of the ESRC peer review college.

Editorial Board membership

Associate Editor of Regional Studies - Regional Science

Academic service 

Angela is the MSA’s Sustainability Lead. 

Undergraduate courses

Angela is the course leader of BA1 module Sustainable Global Futures Humanities.

Postgraduate teaching

Angela leads a research methods module for MArch 1 on Climate Proof Cities. 

Angela also supervises MArch 1 and Masters of Landscape dissertations.

PhD Supervision

Thomas Goessler, ‘The Potential of Smart Technology for Adaptive Residential Spaces’ 

Steven Taylor- ‘Prefiguring Urban Futures: Do independent creative practitioners already know how to make a more liveable city?’ 

Yaa Serwaa Sapong, ‘Green infrastructure planning and approaches in urban spatial planning: a case study in Accra, Ghana 

Shuyan Zhang, ‘Participatory Design Strategies for Adaptive Reuse of Buildings into Residential Spaces in Response to China’s Aging Society’ 

Completed

Charlotte MacLean, ‘Landscape Planning, Infrastructure and Ecology: Scottish Landscape Architecture through the work of Mark Turnbull (1943-1916)’ 

Research

Recent Grants

2025: Resilient Retrofit: Healthy and Sustainable Homes for the Future, MMU Sustainable Cities, seed funding.

2024 - 2027: Paludiculture: Large-scale demonstrations, Horizon Europe (PI: Chris Field, Science and Engineering)

2023: Net-zero Pioneer, Manchester, Innovate UK. 

2021: Songs of Resilience: bringing new voices into climate research (PI), with University of Manchester and University of Glasgow. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. 

Exhibitions

Gidman, A., Connelly, A., 2024. Natural Materials Now, Manchester School of Architecture, 2/2/2024 - 16/2/2024.

Book Chapters

Connelly, A., Hebbert, M., 2025. 'Learning from Buildings'. In Messy Methods in Researching Religion, Oxford University Press.

Connelly, A., 2022. 'Planning for faith in Wythenshawe, Manchester'. In Sterken, S., Weyns, E. (eds.) Territories of Faith: Religion, Urban Planning and Demographic Change in Post-War Europe, pp. 37-62, Leuven University Press.

Rome, E., Bogen, M., Lückerath, D., Ullrich, O., Worst, R., Streberová, E., Dumonteil, M., Mendizabal, M., Abajo, B., Feliu, E., Bosch, P., Connelly, A., Carter, J., 2019. 'Risk-based analysis of the vulnerability of urban infrastructure to the consequences of climate change'. In Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications, pp. 55-75.

Connelly, A., 2017. 'GET ME OUT OF HERE! ASSESSING AMBRIDGE'S FLOOD RESILIENCE'. In Custard Culverts and Cake Academics on Life in the Archers, pp. 115-130.

O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A., 2016. 'Insurance as maladaptation: Resilience and the `business as usual' paradox'. In Routledge Handbook of International Resilience, pp. 238-250.

Connelly, A., Steele, M., 2016. 'Surveying Greater Manchester's Sacred Suburbs'. In Modern Futures, Uniformbooks.

Connelly, A., 2015. ''He saw the city and wept': The Manchester and Salford Methodist Mission, 1910-60'. In Culture in Manchester Institutions and Urban Change Since 1850, pp. 123-147.

Connelly, A., Guy, S., 2015. 'Mapping Sustainability Concerns'. In Catalyst: Art, Sustainability and Place in the Work of Wolfgang Weileder, erlag der Buchhandlung Walther Konig.

Connelly, A., 2013. '"And when he saw the city he wept": Methodism's mission to Manchester's working classes.'. In Culture in Manchester Institutions and Urban Change Since 1850, Manchester University Press.

Reports

Kazmierczak, A., Connelly, A., Sherriff, G., 2026. 'Evaluation of the Growing Manchester programme', University of Manchester.

Carter, J., Connelly, A., Vlastaras, V., Barker, A., Rothwell, J., Evans, S., Morrison, R., Skeggs, J., 2026. 'Innovative Financing and Delivery of Natural Climate Solutions in Greater Manchester (Ignition): Baseline Report D 2.4.2'.

Jones, B., O'Hare, P., Connelly, A., Barker, M., 2026. 'Research into Standards for Flood Resilience', British Standards Institution.

Connelly, A., 2026. 'Review of Water Governance in Greater Manchester: A report for the Natural Course project.', Colloaboratory for urban resilience and energy, Manchester Urban Institute.

Connelly, A., 2026. 'WP2 - Community Engagement Plan for Net Zero Pioneer Place - Manchester'.

Kamierczak, A., Cavan, G., Lindley, S., Connelly, A., 2015. 'Mapping Flood Disadvantage in Scotland', The Scottish Government.

Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P., White, I., 2013. 'Six Steps to Flood Resilience', School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester.

Connelly, A., Hebbert, M., 2011. 'Liverpool's Early Railway Heritage', Manchester Architecture Research Centre, University of Manchester.

Journal Articles

Hincks, S., Carter, J., Connelly, A., 2023. 'A New Typology of Climate Change Risk for European Cities and Regions: Principles and Applications', Global Environmental Change, 83, pp. 102767-102767.

Connelly, A., Snow, A., Carter, J., Wendler, J., Lauwerijssen, R., Glentworth, J., Barker, A., Handley, J., Haughton, G., Rothwell, J., 2023. 'What approaches exist to evaluate the effectiveness of UK-relevant natural flood management measures? A systematic map', Environmental Evidence, 12, pp. 12-12.

Connelly, A., O'Hare, P., White, I., 2020. '"The best flood I ever had": Contingent resilience and the (relative) success of adaptive technologies', Cities, 106, pp. 102842-102842.

Connelly, A., Snow, A., Carter, J., Lauwerijssen, R., 2020. 'What approaches exist to evaluate the effectiveness of UK-relevant natural flood management measures? A systematic map protocol', Environmental Evidence, 9 (11), pp. 1-13.

Brennan, M., Scott, J.C., Connelly, A., Lawrence, G., 2019. 'Do music festival communities address environmental sustainability and how? A Scottish case study', Popular Music, 38 (2), pp. 252-275.

Connelly, A., Hanania, S., Kiernicka-Allavena, J., 2019. 'Water, heritage and sustainability in practice: the cases of Rochdale and Wroclaw', European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes, 2 (1), pp. 139-152.

Connelly, A., Carter, J., Handley, J., Hincks, S., 2018. 'Enhancing the practical utility of risk assessments in climate change adaptation', Sustainability (Switzerland), 10 (5), 12.

Connelly, A., 2017. 'Urban Redevelopment and Modernity in Liverpool and Manchester, 1918-1939', ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, 60, pp. 361-362.

Connelly, A., Guy, S.C., Wainwright, E., Weileder, W., Wilde, M., 2016. 'Catalyst: Reimagining sustainability with and through fine art', Ecology and Society, 21 (4), 7.

White, I., Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P., 2016. 'Flood resilience technology in Europe: identifying barriers and co-producing best practice', Journal of Flood Risk Management, 11 (S1), pp. S468-S478.

Carter, J.G., Cavan, G., Connelly, A., Guy, S., Handley, J., Kazmierczak, A., 2015. 'Climate change and the city: Building capacity for urban adaptation', Progress in Planning, 95.

Connelly, A., 2015. 'Continuity and adaptation: Archway central hall, 1934-2010', London Journal, 40 (1), pp. 33-55.

O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A., 2015. 'Insurance as maladaptation: Resilience and the 'business as usual' paradox', Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 34 (6), pp. 1175-1193.

Connelly, A., Gabalda, V., Garvin, S., Hunter, K., Kelly, D., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P., White, I., 2015. 'Testing innovative technologies to manage flood risk', Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Water Management, 168 (2), pp. 66-73.

Connelly, A., 2014. 'Building the Modern Church: Roman Catholic Church Architecture in Britain, 1955 to 1975', ARQ-ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH QUARTERLY, 18 (2), pp. 177-178.

Connelly, A., 2014. 'Garden suburbs of tomorrow? A new future for the cottage estates', PLANNING PERSPECTIVES, 29 (3), pp. 407-408.

Connelly, A., 2013. 'The feminine public sphere: middle-class women and civic life in Scotland, c. 18701914', GENDER PLACE AND CULTURE, 20 (1), pp. 134-136.

Connelly, A., 2013. 'The working-class suburb: social change on an English Council Estate, 1930-2010', PLANNING PERSPECTIVES, 28 (4), pp. 651-653.

Connelly, A., 2012. 'A pool of Bethesda: Manchester's First Wesleyan Methodist Central Hall', Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 89 (1), pp. 105-125.

Tippett, J., Connelly, A., How, F., 2011. 'You Want Me to Do What? Teach a Studio Class to Seventy Students?', The Journal for Education in the Built Environment, 6 (2), pp. 26-53.

Non-Peer Reviewed Articles

O'Hare, P., White, I., Connelly, A., 2017. 'Insuring we fail? Flood risk, vulnerability and the limits to 'bouncing back'.', Town and country planning : the quarterly review of the Town and Country Planning Association, pp. 160-165.

White, I., Connelly, A., Garvin, S., Lawson, N., O'Hare, P., 2015. 'Towards best practice in property level protection', Town and Country Planning, pp. 82-87.

Conference Papers

Elsayed, N., Niedderer, K., Connelly, A., 2023. 'Changing People's behaviour toward Littering in the Egyptian Community', Milan, Italy, 9/10/2023 - 13/10/2023, in IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design.

Cavan, G., Kazmierczak, A., Connelly, A., Lindley, S., 2017. 'Multi-dimensional social vulnerability and flood disadvantage assessment to support socially just flood risk management', 21st International Congress on Biometeorology, Durham, UK, 3/9/2017 - 7/9/2017.

Other Outputs

Connelly, A., O'Hare, P., 2025. 'Submission to the Environmental Audit Committee's call for evidence on Flood Resilience, 2025'.

Research project details