Staff Profile

I joined the Centre for Rural Economy in 2016 following a career in the public sector working on rural economic development, latterly with Regional Development Agency One North East. Before that I was chairman of Northumberland National Park and a non-executive director of the Countryside Agency.  I continue to have a lasting interest in protected areas and their contribution to rural development and innovation. 

My research interests span the rural creative and cultural industries, rural innovation and rural policy and evaluation.  I am currently Research Associate on the ESRC funded Centre for Evaluating Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) that aims to bring complexity thinking and methods to evaluating policy at the Nexus of food, water, environment and rural systems. With CECAN colleagues I've been leading a case study working with DEFRA on complexity approaches to new agricultural and rural policy post EU exit 

I am also a member of the core team of the new National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, focussing on the rural creative and cultural industries and their contribution to innovation, growth and resilience. 

• Phillipson J, Gorton M, Turner R, Shucksmith M, Aitken-McDermott K, Areal F, Cowie P, Hubbard C, Maioli S, McAreavey R, Souza-Monteiro D, Newbery R, Panzone L, Rowe F, Shortall S. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications for Rural Economies. Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 3973.
• Scott K, Rowe F, Pollock VL. Creating the good life? A wellbeing perspective on cultural value in rural development. Journal of Rural Studies 2018, 59, 173-182.
• Rowe F, Hejnowicz A, Penn A, Martin J, Rios-Wilks A. Evaluating complex policy for rural development at a time of dynamic change. Guildford: CECAN, 2018. Available at: https://www.cecan.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/EPPN-No-10-Evaluating-complex-policy-for-rural-development-at-a-time-of-dynamic-change-online.pdf.
• Rowe F. Rural Modernity, Everyday Life and Visual Culture. Rural Sociology 2017, 82(1), 188-190.
• Crawshaw J, Rowe F, Hudson M. Translations in practice: The multiple roles of the researcher in arts-based knowledge exchange. Journal of Arts and Communities 2015, 7(1-2), 101-115.
• Crawshaw J, Hudson M, Rowe F. Archives and fractures: Identifying and using tacit, minority knowledges in knowledge exchange processes. In: The Knowledge Exchange: An Interactive Conference. 2013, LICA/Lancaster University.
• Cowie P, Thompson N, Rowe F. Honey pots and Hives: Maximising the potential of Rural Enterprise Hubs. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University, 2013. Centre for Rural Economy Research Report to North East Rural Growth Network.
• Rowe F. Rural policy in Scotland and England: A comparative review. Edinburgh: SAC Rural Policy Centre, 2011.
• Rowe F. Innovation in Rural Public Services. London: NESTA, 2007.