Professor James White

Professor of Planning and Urban Design (Urban Studies)

telephone: 0141 330 3664
email: JamesT.White@glasgow.ac.uk

216/26 Bute Gardens, Glasgow

Biography

James White is Professor of Planning and Urban Design in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow. He studied City and Regional Planning (BSc) and Urban Design (MA) at Cardiff University before completing his doctoral studies in Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. James joined the University of Glasgow in 2012.

James teaches urban design and planning to post-graduate students of City Planning, City Planning and Real Estate Development and Housing in the Urban Studies subject area. He is a Co-Investigator and Deputy Director of the ESRC-funded Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence and a Co-Investigator on an ESRC UK-South Korea Connections Grant project called "Creating Prosperous City Centres Post-Pandemic Through Repurposing Retail Space". James was recently a Co-Investigator on the ESRC-funded REPAIR project (Real Estate Adaptation and Innovation within an Integrated Retailing System) which concluded in 2022.

James is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Chartered Town Planner and a Member of the Urban Design Group. He sits on the Glasgow Urban Design Panel. James is an External Examiner at the University of Sheffield and University College London and serves as Chair of the University of Newcastle Partnership Board on behalf of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is the current chair of the 2023 UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference being held at the University of Glasgow in September 2023.

Research interests

James is interested in the theory and application of design governance in the context of sustainable urban development. His research focuses is on the tools and mechanisms that planners use to shape the built environment and enhance the design quality of housing and neighbourhoods. He is especially interested in urban design and high-rise residential development, housing design quality and retrofit and design on the high street. James studies urban design and planning in domestic and international contexts, including the United Kingdom and Canada.

Publications on these topics include a case study of urban design on Toronto's waterfront in Canada and an examination of policy mobilisation and high-rise residential development in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. James' recent published work includes a major research report on housing design quality in the four UK nations, an international evidence review on high-rise residential developmen and an analysis of the experience economy on the UK high street.

James' first book, co-authored with John Punter, "Condoland: The Planning, Design, and Development of Toronto's CityPlace" follows the planning and design of a high-rise residential mega-project in Toronto, Canada and examines the design impacts of 'vertical urbanisation'. It was published in May 2023.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2011 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006

Number of items: 63.

2023

White, J. T. , Kenny, T., Samuel, F., Foye, C. , James, G. and Serin, B. (2023) Are well-designed places possible? A model of design governance intervention in the planning, design and development of new neighbourhoods. Journal of Urban Design, (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2023.2296885) (Early Online Publication)

Gibb, K., Sharpe, T., Higney, A., Moreno-Rangel, A., Serin, B. , White, J. and Hoolachan, A. (2023) Niddrie Road, Glasgow: Tenement Retrofit Evaluation. Project Report. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence.

Richardson, R. , White, J. and James, G. (2023) Progressive Placemaking in Scotland: The Long Road from Aspiration to Implementation. UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2023, Glasgow, UK, 4-6 Sept 2023.

White, J. T. , Orr, A. , Jackson, C., Gardner, A., Hickie, J., Richardson, R. and Stewart, J. (2023) Averting dead mall syndrome: de-malling and the future of the purpose-built shopping center in large UK cities. Journal of Urban Affairs, (doi: 10.1080/07352166.2023.2239957) (Early Online Publication)

White, J. T. , Hickie, J., Orr, A. , Jackson, C. and Richardson, R. (2023) The experience economy in UK city centres: a multidimensional and interconnected response to the 'death of the high street'? Urban Studies, 60(10), pp. 1833-1852. (doi: 10.1177/00420980221143043)

Jackson, C., Lawson, V., Orr, A. and White, J. (2023) Repurposing retail space: exploring stakeholder relationships. Urban Studies, (doi: 10.1177/00420980231178776) (Early Online Publication)

White, J. T. and Punter, J. (2023) Condoland: The Planning, Design, and Development of Toronto's CityPlace. UBC Press: Vancouver. ISBN 9780774868396

Orr, A. M. , Stewart, J. L. , Jackson, C. C. and White, J. T. (2023) Shifting prime retailing pitches. A GIS analysis of the spatial adaptations in city centre retail markets. Journal of Property Research, 40(2), pp. 101-133. (doi: 10.1080/09599916.2022.2141133)

Orr, A. M. , Stewart, J. L. , Jackson, C. C. and White, J. T. (2023) Ownership diversity and fragmentation: a barrier to urban centre resilience. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 50(3), pp. 660-677. (doi: 10.1177/23998083221124600)

Orr, A. , Stewart, J. , Jackson, C. and White, J. T. (2023) Not quite the ‘death of the high street’ in UK city centres: rising vacancy rates and the shift in property use richness and diversity. Cities, 133, 104124. (doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2022.104124)

Orr, A. M. , Gardner, A., Jackson, C. and White, J. T. (2023) Changing tenant covenant perceptions and flexibility in the lease model in UK city centres. Journal of Property Research, 40(1), pp. 1-24. (doi: 10.1080/09599916.2022.2057866)

2022

Webb, B. and White, J. T. (2022) Planning and the high-rise neighbourhood: debates on vertical cities. Urban Planning, 7(4), pp. 208-212. (doi: 10.17645/up.v7i4.6357)

Orr, A. M. , Jackson, C., White, J. T. , Lawson, V., Gardner, A., Hickie, J., Richardson, R. and Stewart, J. L. (2022) Retail Change and Transition in UK City Centres. Real Estate, Place Adaptation and Innovation within an integrated Retailing system (REPAIR) End of Project Report. Project Report. University of Glasgow, Glasgow.

White, J. , Hickie, J. and Richardson, R. (2022) Leisure and entertainment experiences: Reshaping city centres. Documentation. University of Glasgow.

Orr, A. , Gardner, A., Jackson, C., Lawson, V., Stewart, J. and White, J. (2022) The Adaptiveness of the Retail Property Market in the UK. A Mixed Method Study of Change. 28th Annual Conference of the European Real Estate Society, Milan, Italy, 22-25 June 2022. (Unpublished)

Orr, A. and White, J. (2022) All change on the high street. Context, 171, pp. 14-17.

Orr, A. M. , White, J. T. and Lawson, V. (2022) Retail Decline and the Fate of the Urban Shopping Centre in UK City Centres. 2022 AAG Annual Meeting, 25 Feb - 01 Mar 2022. (Unpublished)

Orr, A. M. , Gardner, A., Jackson, C. and White, J. T. (2022) Adaptation of the Retail Investment Market in the UK: Changing Tenant Covenant Perceptions and Flexibility in the Lease Model. In: 28th Annual Pacific Rim Real Estate Society Conference, 19 Jan 2022,

2021

Haart, M., Webb, B. and White, J. (2021) Nested aging: lifecycles in the vertical city. Plan Canada, 2021(Summer), pp. 32-36.

Richardson, R. and White, J. T. (2021) Design governance, austerity and the public interest: Planning and the delivery of 'well-designed places' in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Planning Theory and Practice, 22(4), pp. 572-594. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2021.1958911)

White, J. and Serin, B. (2021) High-Rise Residential Development: An International Evidence Review. Project Report. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Glasgow.

White, J. T. and James, G. (2021) Designing streets to designing neighbourhoods? Scottish Planner, 184, pp. 8-9.

White, J. (2021) Delivering housing design value – is the momentum building? [Website]

White, J. and Foye, C. (2021) Guest Blog: A skills revolution to create the healthy, well-designed places of the future. [Website]

Foye, C. and White, J. (2021) How can we improve the design value of new housing and neighbourhoods? Housing Quality Magazine(1), pp. 14-15.

Chen, F. and White, J. T. (2021) Urban design governance in three Chinese ‘pioneer cities’. International Planning Studies, 26(2), pp. 130-148. (doi: 10.1080/13563475.2020.1752160)

2020

White, J. (2020) The housing design quality conundrum - what can be done about it? [Website]

White, J. T. , Kenny, T., Samuel, F., Foye, C. , James, G. and Serin, B. (2020) Delivering design value: The housing design quality conundrum. Project Report. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Glasgow.

White, J. T. (2020) Designing the Global City: Design Excellence, Competitions and the Remaking of Central Sydney. Planning Theory and Practice, 21(5), pp. 812-815. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2020.1842593)[Book Review]

2019

White, J. (2019) What once was old is new again: placemaking and transformational regeneration in Glasgow. In: Kintrea, K. and Madgin, R. (eds.) Transforming Glasgow: Beyond the Post-Industrial City. Policy Press: Bristol, pp. 201-219. ISBN 9781447349778

Orr, A. , Jackson, C., Stewart, J. and White, J. (2019) Real Estate Adaptation and Innovation: Diversity and Landownership. 26th Annual Conference of the European Real Estate Society, Cergy-Pontoise, France, 3-6 July 2019. (Unpublished)

White, J. T. and Chapple, H. (2019) Beyond design review: collaborating to create well-designed places in Scotland. Journal of Urban Design, 24(4), pp. 597-604. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2018.1529537)

2018

Serin, B. , Kenny, T., White, J. and Samual, F. (2018) Design Value at the neighbourhood scale: what does it mean and how do we measure it? Project Report. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Glasgow.

White, J. (2018) What Once was Old is New Again: Placemaking and Transformational Regeneration in Glasgow. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 58th Annual Conference, Buffalo, NY, USA, 25-28 Oct 2018.

White, J. T. (2018) High-rise residential development: an international evidence review. [Website]

White, J. (2018) What Once was Old is New Again: Placemaking and Transformational Regeneration in Glasgow. Planning Research Conference 2018, Sheffield, UK, 03-05 Sep 2018.

Serin, B., Samuel, F., White, J. , Kenny, T. and Foye, C. (2018) The Value of Design in Housing and Neighbourhoods. ENHR International Conference: More Together, More Apart: Migration, Densification, Segregation, Uppsala, Sweden, 26-29 Jun 2018.

Serin, B., White, J. , Kenny, T., Samuel, F. and Foye, C. (2018) Housing Placemaking: What is the Value of Design? [Website]

Serin, B. , Kenny, T., White, J. and Samuel, F. (2018) Design Value at the Neighbourhood Scale: What Does It Mean and How Do We Measure It? Housing Studies Association Conference, Sheffield, UK, 10-12 Apr 2018.

2017

White, J. T. and Bunn, C. (2017) Growing in Glasgow: Innovative practices and emerging policy pathways for urban agriculture. Land Use Policy, 68, pp. 334-344. (doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.07.056)

White, J. (2017) CityPlace, Toronto: Policy Mobility and Vancouverism. Planning Research Conference 2017, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 11-13 Sep 2017.

White, J. T. and Punter, J. (2017) Toronto's Vancouverism: developer adaptation, planning responses, and the challenge of design quality. Town Planning Review, 88(2), pp. 173-200. (doi: 10.3828/tpr.2016.45)

2016

White, J. and Punter, J. (2016) Toronto's 'Vancouverism': Developer Adaptation, Planning Responses, and the Challenge of Design Quality. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 56th Annual Conference, Portland, OR, USA, 03-06 Nov 2016.

White, J. T. (2016) Pursuing design excellence: Urban design governance on Toronto's waterfront. Progress in Planning, 110, pp. 1-41. (doi: 10.1016/j.progress.2015.06.001)

White, J. T. (2016) Planning as placemaking? The case of the East Bayfront Precinct planning process. In: Thomas, R. (ed.) Planning Canada: A Case Study Approach. Oxford University Press Canada. ISBN 9780199008070

2015

White, J. (2015) Separating the Personal, Professional and Political: Realising Effective Urban Design Review on Toronto's Waterfront. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 55th Annual Conference, Houston, TX, USA, 22-25 Oct 2015.

White, J. (2015) The case of Toronto's waterfront. In: DECADE: a Collection of Reflections to Mark 10 Years of Architecture and Design Scotland. Architecture and Design Scotland, p. 46.

White, J. and Punter, J. (2015) Toronto's Vancouverism: Developer Adaptation, Planning Responses, and the Challenge of Design Quality. Association of the European Schools of Planning (AESOP) Annual Congress 2015, Prague, Czech Republic, 13-15 Jul 2015.

White, J. T. (2015) Future directions in urban design as public policy: reassessing best practice principles for design review and development management. Journal of Urban Design, 20(3), pp. 325-348. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2015.1031212)

White, J. T. (2015) Measuring Urban Design: Metrics for Livable Places, by Ewing, R. and Clemente, O. Journal of Urban Design, 20(2), pp. 291-292. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2015.1008881)[Book Review]

2014

White, J. (2014) Future Directions in Urban Design as Public Policy: Reassessing Best Practice Principles for Design Review and Development Management. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 54th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 30 Oct - 02 Nov 2014.

White, J. T. (2014) Design by competition and the potential for public participation: assessing an urban design competition on Toronto’s waterfront. Journal of Urban Design, 19(4), pp. 541-564. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2014.923744)

2013

White, J. (2013) Challenging the Rule of Experts: a Participatory Design Competition on Toronto's Waterfront. Joint AESOP/ACSP Congress 2013, Dublin, Ireland, 15-19 Jul 2013.

Senbel, M., Girling, C., White, J. , Kellett, R. and Chan, P.F. (2013) Precedents reconceived: urban design learning catalysed through data rich 3-D digital models. Design Studies, 34(1), pp. 74-92. (doi: 10.1016/j.destud.2012.08.001)

Adams, D. , Tiesdell, S. and White, J.T. (2013) Smart parcelization and place diversity: reconciling real estate and urban design priorities. Journal of Urban Design, 18(4), pp. 459-477. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2013.824367)

Senbel, M., Girling, C., Kellet, R. and White, J. (2013) Evaluating a web based urban design reference tool. In: Berney, R. (ed.) Urban Nature, Conference Proceedings of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), 2011. Figueroa Press: Los Angeles, CA, USA, pp. 197-216.

2011

White, J. (2011) An Evaluative Study of Urban Design as Public Policy on Toronto's Waterfront. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 52nd Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 13-16 Oct 2011.

White, J. T. (2011) Beth Moore Milroy, Thinking Planning and Urbanism. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 31(3), pp. 363-365. (doi: 10.1177/0739456X11398199)[Book Review]

2009

White, J. (2009) The Politics of Urban Design Decision Making in Large-Scale Urban Development Projects in Canadian Cities. Association of American Georgraphers 2009 Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 22-27 Mar 2009.

White, J. T. (2009) America’s Waterfront Revival: Port Authorities and Urban Redevelopment, by P.H. Brown. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 18(2), pp. 99-101. [Book Review]

2008

White, J. (2008) An ecological design philosophy: Randolph T. Hester's design for ecological democracy. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 1(2), pp. 187-198. (doi: 10.1080/17549170802221542)[Book Review]

White, J. T. (2008) Tradition Today: Continuity in Architecture and Society, by R. Adam and M. Hardy (eds.). International Planning Studies, 13(3), pp. 287-289. (doi: 10.1080/13563470802521465)[Book Review]

2006

White, J. (2006) Downtown Calgary: in pursuit of urban design quality. Urban Design Quarterly, Winter, pp. 16-17.

This list was generated on Thu Apr 25 05:28:55 2024 BST.

Number of items: 63.

Articles

Jackson, C., Lawson, V., Orr, A. and White, J. (2023) Repurposing retail space: exploring stakeholder relationships. Urban Studies, (doi: 10.1177/00420980231178776) (Early Online Publication)

Webb, B. and White, J. T. (2022) Planning and the high-rise neighbourhood: debates on vertical cities. Urban Planning, 7(4), pp. 208-212. (doi: 10.17645/up.v7i4.6357)

Orr, A. and White, J. (2022) All change on the high street. Context, 171, pp. 14-17.

Haart, M., Webb, B. and White, J. (2021) Nested aging: lifecycles in the vertical city. Plan Canada, 2021(Summer), pp. 32-36.

White, J. T. and James, G. (2021) Designing streets to designing neighbourhoods? Scottish Planner, 184, pp. 8-9.

Foye, C. and White, J. (2021) How can we improve the design value of new housing and neighbourhoods? Housing Quality Magazine(1), pp. 14-15.

Chen, F. and White, J. T. (2021) Urban design governance in three Chinese ‘pioneer cities’. International Planning Studies, 26(2), pp. 130-148. (doi: 10.1080/13563475.2020.1752160)

White, J. T. and Chapple, H. (2019) Beyond design review: collaborating to create well-designed places in Scotland. Journal of Urban Design, 24(4), pp. 597-604. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2018.1529537)

White, J. T. (2016) Pursuing design excellence: Urban design governance on Toronto's waterfront. Progress in Planning, 110, pp. 1-41. (doi: 10.1016/j.progress.2015.06.001)

White, J. (2006) Downtown Calgary: in pursuit of urban design quality. Urban Design Quarterly, Winter, pp. 16-17.

Books

White, J. T. and Punter, J. (2023) Condoland: The Planning, Design, and Development of Toronto's CityPlace. UBC Press: Vancouver. ISBN 9780774868396

Book Sections

White, J. (2015) The case of Toronto's waterfront. In: DECADE: a Collection of Reflections to Mark 10 Years of Architecture and Design Scotland. Architecture and Design Scotland, p. 46.

Book Reviews

White, J. T. (2015) Measuring Urban Design: Metrics for Livable Places, by Ewing, R. and Clemente, O. Journal of Urban Design, 20(2), pp. 291-292. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2015.1008881)[Book Review]

White, J. T. (2011) Beth Moore Milroy, Thinking Planning and Urbanism. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 31(3), pp. 363-365. (doi: 10.1177/0739456X11398199)[Book Review]

White, J. T. (2009) America’s Waterfront Revival: Port Authorities and Urban Redevelopment, by P.H. Brown. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 18(2), pp. 99-101. [Book Review]

Research Reports or Papers

White, J. , Hickie, J. and Richardson, R. (2022) Leisure and entertainment experiences: Reshaping city centres. Documentation. University of Glasgow.

White, J. and Serin, B. (2021) High-Rise Residential Development: An International Evidence Review. Project Report. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Glasgow.

Conference or Workshop Item

Orr, A. M. , White, J. T. and Lawson, V. (2022) Retail Decline and the Fate of the Urban Shopping Centre in UK City Centres. 2022 AAG Annual Meeting, 25 Feb - 01 Mar 2022. (Unpublished)

White, J. (2018) What Once was Old is New Again: Placemaking and Transformational Regeneration in Glasgow. Planning Research Conference 2018, Sheffield, UK, 03-05 Sep 2018.

White, J. (2017) CityPlace, Toronto: Policy Mobility and Vancouverism. Planning Research Conference 2017, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 11-13 Sep 2017.

White, J. (2013) Challenging the Rule of Experts: a Participatory Design Competition on Toronto's Waterfront. Joint AESOP/ACSP Congress 2013, Dublin, Ireland, 15-19 Jul 2013.

Conference Proceedings

Website

White, J. (2021) Delivering housing design value – is the momentum building? [Website]

White, J. and Foye, C. (2021) Guest Blog: A skills revolution to create the healthy, well-designed places of the future. [Website]

White, J. (2020) The housing design quality conundrum - what can be done about it? [Website]

White, J. T. (2018) High-rise residential development: an international evidence review. [Website]

Serin, B., White, J. , Kenny, T., Samuel, F. and Foye, C. (2018) Housing Placemaking: What is the Value of Design? [Website]

This list was generated on Thu Apr 25 05:28:55 2024 BST.

Grants

Current:

Co-I, Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, ESRC, AHRC and Joesph Rowntree Foundation, 2017-2022, £6,070,028

Co-I, Creating Prosperous City Centres Post-Pandemic Through Repurposing Retail Space, ESRC UK South Korea Connectrions Grant, 2022-2023, £50,000

Previous:

Co-I, Real Estate Adaptation and Innovation within an Integrated Retailing System (REPAIR), ESRC Standard Grant, 2018-2021, £513,301

Co-I, Challenges and Solutions for Ageing High-Rise Neighbourhoods in Japan and the UK, 2019-2020, ESRC/AHRC UK-Japan SSH Connections Call, £49,505.00

Supervision

James welcomes PhD students who are interested in researching urban design, urban planning, high-rise buildings and, in particular, the implications of urban design governance and urban design as public policy.

Current students

Yesudas, Noelene Marisa
Luxury High-rise Housing and the Intersectional Lived Experiences Within: A Case of Bangalore, India

Teaching

Coordinator & Teacher

Designing Places - a 10-credit course that introduces post-graduate students to the core concepts of urban design theory and practice.
Urban Design Policy and Practice - a 10-credit course that challenges post-graduate students to evaluate the various tools and mechanisms used by design and planning professionals to shape the built environment.

Contributor

Sustainable Housing Development

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Clarity

Professor James White

Biography

Research interests

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2011

2009

2008

2006

Articles

Books

Book Sections

Book Reviews

Research Reports or Papers

Conference or Workshop Item

Conference Proceedings

Website

Grants

Supervision

Current students

Teaching

Coordinator & Teacher

Contributor