Research Profile
Prof John Punter
Career Profile
He has taught in Urban Studies at York University, Toronto (1972-5), in Land Management and Development at Reading University (1975-1993), and in Environmental Planning at Strathclyde University in Glasgow (1993-1996). He was Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Planning at the University of Strathclyde, before becoming Professor of Urban Design at Cardiff in 1996. He became a member of the UDG in 1985 and the RTPI in 1990.
He was a Visiting Professor at Curtin University in Perth and at University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in 2002. He is a member of the Urban Design Group, a founder member of the Academy of Learned Societies for the Social Sciences and was recently made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales. He is a Director of the Design Commission for Wales and Chair of its Design Review Panel. He was appointed Chair of the Town and Country Planning Panel for the HEFCE Research Assessment Exercise in 2001 and again in 2008.
He has undertaken a range of consultancy work for the OECD in Paris, Reading Borough Council, Comedia, Urban Cultures, Hillier Parker, David Lock Associates, the Welsh Development Agency and Cardiff Council. He has been an external examiner of planning courses at five British planning schools and two postgraduate urban design courses, and numerous doctorates.
Memberships / External Activities
John Punter is an expert member of the RTPI's Urban Design Network Steering Group, a member of the Urban Design Group and a Director of the Design Commission for Wales. He is one of the Chairs of the Design Review Panel and is heavily involved in design training with Welsh Local Planning Authorities and other development and planning agencies.
He contributed to the recent DETR advice By Design, the UDG advice on Design Guidance, and the RTPI advice on design policies in development plans (From Design Policy to Design Quality). He is on the Editorial Board of five planning, urban design and property journals (TPR, JUD, UDI, JPR, IPS) and has guest edited for four more journals. He serves on the RIBA’s Planning Panel and the former ODPM's Planning Research Network. He is a Board Member of Resources for Urban Design Information (RUDI).
Teaching Profile
Urban Design Thinkers (MA UD)
Design Guidance and Control (MA UD)
Design, Development and Control (BSc CRP Yr 4)
and he contributes to other modules on Comparative Planning Practice, Physical Regeneration, Site Planning and Design and the three Urban Design Studios.