Research

My research interests are around cities and urbanism, sustainable urban environments, social and environmental justice, the culture of cities and related urban and city policy and management. I have a particular interest in the concept and practice of creative cities and the creative and knowledge economy and society. My work has spanned leisure & tourism studies, transport, housing, arts & cultural policy and management, economic development and urban design & regeneration. I am one of the leading academics in the field of cultural planning, creative cities and industries.

I work primarily on cities and comparative urban policy in Europe, Asia (China, S Korea), North & Central America (especially Canada) and Africa & Middle East.

I am director of the Cities Institute and Professor of Urban Cultures at London Metropolitan University - a cross-disciplinary research institute investigating and integrating the cultural, social, economic and environmental aspects of cities: see www.citiesinstitute.org

Current and recent research includes major EPSRC-funded projects under the Sustainable Urban Environment programme on accessible transport, social inclusion & urban design (www.AUNT-SUE-info), urban sustainability and the 24 hour city (www.VivaCity2020.eu), studies commissioned by the UK Culture Ministry on Culture & Sport regeneration, mapping and impact assessment (www.culture.gov.case), a 4 year EU FP7 study of urban growth in coastal cities and climate change - flood risk/sea level rise effects and behaviour/decision-making (www.projectsecoa.eu), and a new 3 year EU INTERREG IVB project on E-Mobility (Electric Vehicles) with partners in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Newcastle (www.e-mobility-nsr.eu). 
I convene the Regional Studies Association Research Network on Mega-Events & Regional Development and coordinate the network research seminar series: www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/show/id=4675400/langid=42
The next event will be a panel at the Association of American Geographers in New York, 24-28 February 2012.