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Staff Profile

Dr Zan Gunn

Senior Lecturer - Planning

  • Email: zan.gunn@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 8002
  • Address: School of Architecture Planning and Landscape
    Henry Daysh Building
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
Background

Introduction

I am a planning researcher, and senior lecturer in the Global Urban Research Unit (GURU) situated in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) at Newcastle University.

My research interest is in systemic reform and its ramifications on practice and professionalism – mainly focused on urban planning.

I am particularly interested in:
(i) system reform as a standard mechanism of policy change in the central state's toolkit of policy instigation and intervention
and
(ii) the changing context of planning as traditional dichotomies between public and private planning are over-ridden by new ways of operating through partnership working, outsourced public sector planning work, secondment etc. and am currently investigating how planners engage with an increasingly diverse professional context, trying to pay attention to both the public and consultancy sector.
(iii) the changes systemic reform makes (e.g. neighbourhood planning) on planning and how these play out in relation to planning practice.

Roles and Responsibilities 

Senior Lecturer in Planning, 

Qualifications

PhD: The Meaning and Method of Urban Capacity and Urban Capacity Studies, University of Newcastle-uopon-Tyne
Diploma in Town Planning University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Post Graduate Certificate of Education, Upper Primary Awarded Roehampton Institute, London
BA (Hons) Planning Studies, Oxford Brookes University (then Oxford Polytechnic)

 

Research

Research Interest

I am a planning researcher, and senior lecturer in the Global Urban Research Unit (GURU) situated in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) at Newcastle University.

My research interest is in systemic reform and its ramifications on practice and professionalism – mainly focused on urban planning.

I am particularly interested in:
(i) system reform as a standard mechanism of policy change in the central state's toolkit of policy instigation and intervention
and
(ii) the changing context of planning as traditional dichotomies between public and private planning are over-ridden by new ways of operating through partnership working, outsourced public sector planning work, secondment etc. and am currently investigating how planners engage with an increasingly diverse professional context, trying to pay attention to both the public and consultancy sector.
(iii) the changes systemic reform makes (e.g. neighbourhood planning) on planning and how these play out in relation to planning practice.

Recent Project

Working in the Public Interest: Spatial planning and the future of public service professional labour http://witpi.group.shef.ac.uk/         ESRC-funded (Co-investigator),

Principle investigator on Work Package 2 conducting focus groups with planning practitioners re changes in planning provision, public interest, in collaboration with co-producing organisation (RTPI) to produce 'State of the Nations' report

Current Research Interest

"The public/private interface of planning: The co-production of planning work" which seeks to explore the complex relationships emerging between public and private sector planners and the implications of these changes.

"The changing nature of professionalism in spatial planning project", which considers the nature of on-going/continuous planning reform, and the implications this has on planning professionalism, planning culture, planning performance.

Research Roles


Post Graduate Supervision

Supervised 4 Post-graduate research students to completion; currently supervising 1; would welcome enquires relating to my research interest, indicated above.  

Teaching

Postgraduate

TCP8942 Reflexive Practitioner (MPlan version)

TCP8024 The Consultancy Project

TCP7021/TCP8937 Spatial Strategies   

Undergraduate

 TCP1027 Shaping Towns and Cities

A number of one-off sessions on a number of modules 

Publications