Chalkface to Coalface: A Review of the Academic — Practice Interface

One of the major—but least reported—changes in British academic life in the last decade has probably been the reorientation of links with practice. For many disciplines practical links that were previously dominated by the public sector have been replaced by increasingly strong links with the private sector. The reasons for this are considered in this paper. After defining the academic — practice interface, the author looks at the policy context that academics must appreciate if they are to carry out genuine applied work. The peculiar features of applied work at the public-sector and private-sector interfaces are examined. To illustrate these features the interface in four sectors—retailing and marketing, rating places, geographic information systems, and local economic development—are reviewed. The paper concludes with reflections on the nature and consequences of changes at the academic — practice interface. A typology of motivations for applied work is presented: altruistic, analytical, and adversarial. These are considered on ideological, moral, and technical grounds. These issues generate very little comment in the academic press. The new ‘Applications’ section of Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design provides a forum for such reflection.