Kevin M. Leyden is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Galway. He also serves as Co-Director of theCreative, Liveable and Sustainable Communities Cluster of the Whitaker Institute. He was previously theDirector of West Virginia Universitys Institute for Public - No restriction Affairs and an Honorary Research Professor of Social Science amp; Public - No restriction Policy at the Whitaker Institute. Professor Leydens research focuses primarily on the relationship between urban design, social capital, health, and urban liveability. His research has been published in the American Journal of Public - No restriction Health, Environmental Health Perspectives, Environment International, Social Science amp; Medicine, British Journal of Political Science. Urban Affairs Review, Health amp; Place, the American Journal of Health Promotion, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning , and Policy Studies Journal , among others. He previously served as a partner with the World Health Organizations Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES), and as a Research Fellow with the Global Metropolitan Forum which examined the quality of life in ten major international metropolises. Professor Leyden recently led the research workgroup associated with a EU funded COST Transit amp; Urban Development grant titled People Friendly Cities in a Data Rich World. In addition, he was a member of the core team (Phase 1) of Galways bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2020 which was successfully awarded in July 2016. From 2004 to 2009, he served as the Director of the Institute for Public - No restriction Affairs and Coordinator of the Local Government Leadership Academy at West Virginia University. Both the Institute and the Academy worked with Public - No restriction officials with the purpose of improving Public - No restriction policy.

Kevins research interests include:Sustainable Community Design and Development Urban Land-Use and Transportation Planning NeighborhoodCommunity Design, Health amp; Climate Change Interest Groups, Non-Profits, and Public - No restriction Policy Social Capital, Civic Engagement amp; Democracy Housing Policy Energy Policy Health Policy Environmental Policy amp; Politics Land Use Planning amp; Politics The Causes amp; Consequences of Urban Sprawl Public - No restriction Opinion Community and Economic Development The Role of Political Parties in Elections amp; the Legislative Process Representation, Accountability and Democratic Governance Interest Groups, PAC Money, and Elections Congressional, Presidential amp; Gubernatorial Elections European Elections Neighborhood Revitalization Policy Housing Policy Quantitative Research Methods Research GrantsService Grants Galway European Capital of Culture Bid 2020 (Awarded May, 2014)Co-author ofthe winning proposal to write the bid for Galway to become the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Dr. Patrick Collins (Department of Geography) and Ilead a NUI Galway team. This proposal will compete against other Irish cities for the right to hold this year long event. The decision will be made by an EU panel. The bid process requires that we have an intensive Public - No restriction and stakeholder process and provide detail programming plans. The bid process also requires that we lay out novel ideas and plans as to how earning a European Capital of Culture designation would affect Galway and its development in the short and long term. See: a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=http:galway2020.iehttp:galway2020.ie Heritage CouncilWorking member of the Heritage Council Urban Heritage Policy Working Group, Ongoing 2014Our goal is to produce a Policy Document on the Heritage Value of Small-to-Medium towns in Ireland. A draft document was produced in June 2014. COST: Awarded February 2013 (approximately 350,000)European Union and European Science Foundation. Cooperation in Science amp; Technology (COST) Transit amp; Urban Development Grant. Title: TUD COST Action TU1204People Friendly Cities in a Data Rich World[Co-investigator] Supported by a European network of candidate cities, this Action co-ordinates a trans-disciplinary network of experts and non-experts that investigate the alignment of the hardware and software of a city with user needs to promote well being, good health, and a sustainable use of resources, within an evolving people-centered consultation framework for economic, cultural, and political development. I lead and coordinate one of five work packages called the Research Strategy amp; Roadmap (2013-2017). During the reporting period I participated in Meetings in Dublin, Galway, Brussels, amp; Helsinki. I am leading an effort to apply for a Horizon2020 grant via the COST network. Enterprise Ireland: Awarded December, 2013 (9,000)Innovation Partnerships Project IE20130268YThe way we plan the places we live in has profound effects on people, society and the environment. Currently, many decisions are made with a very poor understanding of the effects of changes to urban environments. On-going empirical research from a variety of academic disciplines suggests urban planning and design, as well as engineering decisions affect everything from health and well-being to the nature of the local economy and carbon footprints. NUI Galway and our collaborating company RealSim Ltd feel we have the capability to make a real difference in this area by feasibly assessing the potential to develop a better mechanism to aid the decision making ability for the planning professions. This feasibility will assist mapping out the potential for such a product, as well as researching the user needs and evaluating the effectiveness of such a development. The ability to attain such information and understand the effects of planning decisions, would enable a better solution be put in place that will profoundly impact the way communities are designed at a global level. TEAM:Professor Kevin M. Leyden (NUI, Galway)Gavin Duffy (RealSim, Ltd)Dr. Lorraine DArcy (DCU) James Broderick NUI, Galway. (New Phd student)EPA: 2009-2013, Completed in 2013 (96,000)The Environmental Protection Agency of the RePublic - No restriction of Ireland The Grant is titled: The Cleaner, Greener, Leaner Study: Combating Climate Change through Planning for Sustainable Transport [Co-Investigator]The grant primarily supports a PhD Student for three years under the Science, Technology, Research amp; Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007 2013. The project focused upon the relationship between neighbourhood design and the attitudes and behaviours of residents and policymakers in Dublin and its suburbs. E.I. du Pont de Nemours CoBrookmar, Inc.: 2006-2008 ($575,510)Grant to Evaluate Court Ordered C8 Environmental and Health remediation project in Parkersburg, WV and to host data from project [Co-Investigator]Web Page: a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=http:www.hsc.wvu.edusomcmedc8index.asphttp:www.hsc.wvu.edusomcmedc8index.asp (partial description of projects). Commonly referred to as C8, ammonium perfluorooctanoate and its derivative salts are used by the Du Pont chemical company to aid in the production of non-stick and protective fluoropolymers such as TEFLON, Scotchguard, and Gore-Tex. C8 has been discovered in the water supply of communities near the Du Pont Chemical plant located outside of Parkersburg, WV. A C8 Health Project was conducted between August 2005 July 2006 by Brookmar Inc., as part of the settlement agreement reached in the case of Leach v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours amp; Co., No. 01C-608 (W. Va., Wood County Cir. Ct. filed Apr. 10, 2002). Over 69,000 residents provided blood samples that are currently being analyzed to determine whether C8 is associated with human disease in the Parkersburg area. WVU researchers are involved in many aspects of this effort including an examination of the perceptions of affected residents and the health effects of the entire C8 Health Project. This research project is expected to produce many Public - No restrictionations including those that focus upon health and environmental policy issues. West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public - No restriction Safety: 2007-2008 ($374,675) West Virginia Mass Evacuation Modeling and Simulation Platform Project [Co-Investigator] The Environmental Protection Agency of the RePublic - No restriction of Ireland: 2005-2006 ($131,435)The Grant is entitled Sustainable Development Evaluation of Road Infrastructure Programmes [Co-Investigator]This project systematically examines the decision process used to build new roads in the RePublic - No restriction of Ireland. The teams primary focus was on the Environmental Impact Assessment process and making recommendations for its improvement. The final report for this project is under review at the EPA. Monongalia County Health Department and West Virginia University. West Virginia Walks. Public - No restriction health intervention and evaluation of a media based walking campaign based in North Central West Virginia. $150,000 plus. (2005-2006) Co-Investigator. Brief Description: WV Walks was a socio-ecological Public - No restriction health intervention designed to promote 30+ minutes of daily walking among insufficiently active 40- to 65-year olds. Pre- and post-surveys of the Public - No restriction and policymakers were used to assess the campaigns effectiveness. DHHSPHSCDCNational Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Promoting Public - No restriction Health Research and Education through the Institute for Public - No restriction Affairs. $13,128 (2004-2005) Appalachian Regional Commission and the West Virginia Development Office. Encouraging Leadership II: Recruiting Newly Elected Public - No restriction Officials to Attend the Local Government Leadership Academy. $10,000 (2007) Appalachian Regional Commission and the West Virginia Development Office. Encouraging Leadership: Recruiting Newly Elected Public - No restriction Officials to Attend the Local Government Leadership Academy. $10,000 (2006) Appalachian Regional Commission and the West Virginia Development Office. Pro-Active Planning for the Future: Strategic Retreat for ARC Distressed County Leaders and Local Government Leadership Academy. $7,000 (2006) Appalachian Regional Commission and the West Virginia Development Office. New Leaders Program as part of the bi-annual Local Government Leadership Academy. The program will work to enhance the leadership skills of college students from distressed counties in West Virginia. $10,000 (2005) Alliance for Excellent Education. Study on the relationship between High School Drop-outs and Incarceration. $4,500. Principal Investigator. (2005). RRICollege Special Research Assignment (SRA) Award: Examining the Linkages between Neighborhood Design, Social Capital, and Health: Survey Design and Pre-test Principal Investigator. $10,000 (2004-2005) Canadian Studies Faculty Research Grant 2002-2003. Canadian Embassy. Topic: Community Planning in Canada. Co-Investigator. US$14,904 Research Grant, Eberly College of Arts amp; Sciences. West Virginia University. 2001. Topic: The Politics of the American Landscape: Community Planning, Real Estate, and Land Use Policy. $6,095.29 Co-Investigator.