Paul Gilchrist

Dr Paul Gilchrist is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Brighton's School of Applied Sciences. He is affiliated with the Centre for Environment and Society and multiple Research Excellence Groups, including People, Nature and Places, Sport and Leisure Cultures, and Tourism, Inclusion, Events and Society. His research focuses on geographies of leisure, sport, public spaces, gender embodiment, and cultural heritage, with a particular interest in the interplay between historical and contemporary spatial practices. Gilchrist holds a PhD from the University of Brighton (2009) and a BA from the University of Warwick (2002).

His teaching emphasizes historical documents, field learning (e.g., urban, coastal, and rural field trips), and qualitative research methods. Supervisory interests include playful cities, community agriculture, and cultural heritage. Gilchrist has led projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, British Academy, and EU Interreg, including the EuWatHer heritage initiative and the RiskManche environmental project. He also chairs the Leisure Studies Association's Executive Committee (2013–present).

Recent work includes collaborative research on cultural heritage (e.g., the Robert Gilchrist heritage walk) and co-developing 'collaborative story spirals' for community-based studies. His research spans over 59 publications, addressing topics from LGBTQ+ urban policy to digital media's role in health culture.