Peter Herborn

BA (Hons), MTCP (Syd.), MIAG, MPIA.

Peter is a graduate of The University of Sydney in geography and town and country planning. He has worked as a town planner and as an academic in geography, planning and peace studies. He is a long standing member of the Institute of Australian Geographers and the Planning Institute of Australia. Peter has undertaken further study and research in universities and local government authorities in Australia, the United States and the UK. Formerly a Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator, Peter is currently an Adjunct Fellow in the School of Social Sciences and in the Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre of the University of Western Sydney.

Peter’s research and consulting interests include public participation in planning as well as violence prevention in public places. New technologies of planning, such as geographic information systems, have an often unrealised potential to make the planning process more inclusive and transparent. Peter is interested in democratising the planning process and associated technologies. Cities should have safe, vibrant, multi-cultural public places, but in many cities space is becoming privatised and fortified. Peter is interested in the role of urban design in contributing to peaceful places and more socially and environmentally sustainable cities.

At the University of Western Sydney Peter was instrumental in the establishment of new courses in environmental planning, geographic information systems and geography. In collaboration with other academics he contributed to courses in research methods, peace studies and environmental criminology. His teaching style aims to build research capability and creative problem solving.

Selected Publications

1999, 'Sydney', with Graeme Newell , in Cities in the Pacific Rim: Planning Systems and Property Markets, editors J.Berry and S.McGreal, Spon, UK.

2003, 'The Role of Place Management in Crime Prevention: Some Reflections on Governmentality and Government Strategies', with M. Lee, Current Issues in Criminal Justice Vol. 15 No. 1.

Selected Conference Presentations

2001, 'Geographic Information Systems in local government: diffusion or translation?' New Zealand Geographical Society and the Institute of Australian Geographers Joint Conference, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 29 January- 2 February.

2003 'Democratising GIS: Progress and Prospects for Australian Cities', State of Australian Cities National Conference, Parramatta, 3-5 December.

2005, 'GIS on the Web: Part of an inclusive planning process?' Creative and Sustainable Communities: Planning Institute of Australia National Congress, Melbourne and Bendigo, April.