“…Nevertheless, our potential influence may be undermined by a reluctance to conduct applied normative research when it is perceived that it is theory that counts (Mercer, ; Birtles, ; Peck, ; Martin, ; Dorling and Shaw, ; McManus, ; Eden, ; Pain, ; Bell, ; Phelps and Tewdwr‐Jones, ). Arguably, however, values are unavoidable and need to be made explicit (see for example Mercer, ), and theory and practice inform each other, and each inform activism (see for example Cloke, ; see also Massey, ; Pain, ).…”