Dr Thomas Collins

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Intelligence at the University of Exeter, based in the Centre for Environmental Intelligence. I am a geospatial and computational social science researcher specialising in human mobility, accessibility, and environmental exposure.

My research uses large-scale mobile phone and app-based mobility data to understand how people interact with both built and natural environments, with a particular focus on spatial inequality and access to greenspace. I work at the intersection of computational social science, geospatial analytics, and environmental planning, producing insights that are relevant to real-world decision-making.

In my current postdoctoral role, I collaborate with Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to quantify access to greenspace and protected areas across the UK. I also assess how new housing developments influence accessibility and potential ecological impacts. This work supports evidence-based planning and contributes to national nature recovery efforts.