School of Social & Political Sciences

Professor Andy Inch

  • Professor in Planning (Urban Studies & Social Policy)

Biography

Andy joined Urban Studies and Social Policy as a Professor of Planning in September 2025. Prior to arriving in Glasgow he was based at the University of Sheffield having previously held appointments in the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS) at the University of Lisbon and Heriot-Watt University.

Andy’s first degree was in English Literature and Modern History. After spending several years teaching English he went on to complete an Msc and then PhD in Planning at Oxford Brookes University.

Andy is an Associate Editor for the journal Planning Theory and Practice, and sits on the editorial board ofPlanning Theory. He continues to hold a visiting position at ICS in Lisbon.

Research interests

Andy’s research focuses on critically understanding the politics of planning and urban development. His work explores planning as a socially contested activity, with (frequently unrealised) potential to enable democratic transitions towards more socially just and environmentally sustainable futures.

Recent work has focused on three key areas:

Critically understanding how ideological and political agendas influence planning ideas and practices. Through this work he has explored how ideas about the role and purpose of planning and planners are reshaped, particularly by government reforms. This has included being part of the ESRC-funded project Working in the Public Interest (2017-19), the first comprehensive study of the privatisation of planning in the UK, that led to the co-authored book, The Future for Planners (Policy Press).

Understanding democratic participation and civic activism in planning, including the nature of public opposition to development and how community groups struggle to challenge plans and proposals. This includes a long-term collaboration with the campaigning charity Planning Democracy in Scotland and a recent AHRC-funded project, Spaces of Hope (2021-2023), that produced the first sustained historical study of community-led organising and activism in UK planning (see http://www.peoplesplans.org/).

Exploring the temporalities of planning, and how rethinking planning's relations to the past and future can enable creative responses to contemporary crises. Drawing on both archival and participatory futures methods, this strand of work includes a long-standing interest in the ways planning constructs relations to possible futures, including through the utopian tradition in planning thought.

Andy has published widely on each of these themes, working with a range of collaborators in the UK and internationally. He is currently developing further work as a co-investigator on two ESRC-funded research projects exploring the planning response to key contemporary challenges: Urban Retrofit (led by Prof James White), looking at the challenges of reshaping cities to ensure a just transition to net zero, and Planning for Nature (led by Prof Malcolm Tait at Sheffield), assessing how to reverse nature loss from new development.

Research groups

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Prior publications

Article

Geovana Mercado et al. (2024) Supporting Nature-Based Solutions via Nature-Based Thinking across European and Latin American cities Ambio Crossref. (doi: 10.1007/s13280-023-01920-6)

Bina, O. et al. (2024) Exploring desired urban futures: the transformative potential of a nature-based approach Futures Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 00163287 (doi: 10.1016/j.futures.2024.103362)

Shepherd, E., Inch, A., Sturzaker, J., Marshall, T. (2024) Ideology, statecraft and the ‘double shuffle’ of Conservative planning reform in England Town Planning Review Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 00410020 1478341X (doi: 10.3828/tpr.2023.36)

Andy Inch, Jason Slade, Lee Crookes (2023) Exploring Planning as a Technology of Hope Journal of Planning Education and Research Crossref. (doi: 10.1177/0739456X20928400)

Andy Inch (2023) An Archive of Political Possibilities? Planning Theory & Practice Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2023.2246303)

Andy Inch, Matthew Wargent, Malcolm Tait (2023) Serving the public interest? Towards a history of private sector planning expertise in England Planning Perspectives Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/02665433.2022.2063165)

Slade, J., Tait, M., Inch, A. (2022) ‘We need to put what we do in my dad’s language, in pounds, shillings and pence’: Commercialisation and the reshaping of public-sector planning in England Urban Studies Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 00420980 1360063X (doi: 10.1177/0042098021989953)

Slade, J., Inch, A., Crookes, L. (2021) Building infrastructures for inclusive regeneration Land Use Policy Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 02648377 (doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105606)

Andy Inch, Richard Dunning, Aidan While, Hannah Hickman, Sarah Payne (2020) ‘The object is to change the heart and soul’: Financial incentives, planning and opposition to new housebuilding in England Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space Crossref. (doi: 10.1177/2399654420902149)

Simone Tulumello, Laura Saija, Andy Inch (2020) Planning amid crisis and austerity: in, against and beyond the contemporary conjuncture International Planning Studies Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/13563475.2019.1704404)

Bina, O., Inch, A., Pereira, L. (2020) Beyond techno-utopia and its discontents: On the role of utopianism and speculative fiction in shaping alternatives to the smart city imaginary Futures Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1016/j.futures.2019.102475)

Shepherd, E., Inch, A., Marshall, T. (2020) Narratives of power: Bringing ideology to the fore of planning analysis Planning Theory Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/1473095219898865)

Inch, A., Shepherd, E. (2020) Thinking conjuncturally about ideology, housing and English planning Planning Theory Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/1473095219887771)

Brownill, S., Inch, A. (2019) Framing people and planning: 50 years of debate Built Environment Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.2148/benv.45.1.7)

Laurian, L., Inch, A. (2019) On Time and Planning: Opening Futures by Cultivating a “Sense of Now” Journal of Planning Literature Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/0885412218817775)

Inch, A., Sartorio, F., Bishop, J., Beebeejaun, Y., McClymont, K., Frediani, A.A., Cociña, C., Quick, K.S. (2019) People and Planning at Fifty/‘People and Planning’ 50 Years On: The Never-Ending Struggle for Planning to Engage with People/Skeffington: A View From The Coalface/From Participation to Inclusion/Marking the 50th Anniversary of Skeffington: Reflections from a Day of Discussion/What to Commemorate? ‘Other’ International Milestones of Democratising City-Making/An American’s Reflections on Skeffington’s Relevance at 50 Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 14649357 1470000X (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2019.1680165)

Inch, A. (2019) Signs of Hope in the Dark? Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2019.1632535)

Trapenberg Frick, K., Myers, D., Inch, A., Dorries, H., Thomas, J.M., Lung-Amam, W.S., Sandoval, G.F., Foss, A.W. (2018) Strengthening Planning’s Effectiveness in a Hyper-Polarized World/Responding to the Conservative Common Sense of Opposition to Planning and Development in England/The Limits to Negotiation and the Promise of Refusal/Planning Contexts in a Hyper-Polarized World/A Right to Sanctuary: Supporting Immigrant Communities in an Era of Extreme Precarity/Planning and Climate Change: Opportunities and Challenges in a Politically Contested Environment/Speaking with the Middle 40% to Bridge the Political Divide for Mutual Gains in Planning Agreements Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2018.1507884)

Inch, A. (2018) The timely return of the repressed – Commentary to walton Fennia Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.11143/fennia.69822)

Campbell, H., Inch, A., Legacy, C. (2018) Tribute to John Friedmann Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2018.1416965)

Barry, J., Horst, M., Inch, A., Legacy, C., Rishi, S., Rivero, J.J., Taufen, A., Zanotto, J.M., Zitcer, A. (2018) Unsettling planning theory Planning Theory Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/1473095218763842)

Inch, A. (2018) ‘Opening for business’? Neoliberalism and the cultural politics of modernising planning in Scotland Urban Studies Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/0042098016684731)

Inch, A. (2017) Anticipations: on the state of the planning imagination Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2016.1274578)

Inch, A., Laurian, L., Mouat, C., Davies, R., Davy, B., Legacy, C., Symonds, C. (2017) Planning in the face of immovable subjects: a dialogue about resistance to development forces Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2017.1328811)

Tait, M., Inch, A. (2016) Putting Localism in Place: Conservative Images of the Good Community and the Contradictions of Planning Reform in England Planning Practice and Research Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/02697459.2015.1104219)

Inch, A. (2015) Ordinary citizens and the political cultures of planning: In search of the subject of a new democratic ethos Planning Theory Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1177/1473095214536172)

Porter, L. et al. (2015) Partnerships of learning for planning education Who is learning what from whom? The beautiful messiness of learning partnerships: Experiential learning partnerships in Australian and New Zealand higher education planning programmes: Res non verba? rediscovering the social purpose of planning (and the university): The Westfield Action Research Project: At the coalface, Take 2: Lessons from students' critical reflections: Education for “cubed change”: Unsettling planning education through community-engaged teaching and learning: Reflections on the Indigenous Planning Studio Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2015.1060688)

(2012) Deconstructing spatial planning: reinterpreting the articulation of a new ethos for English local planning European Planning Studies Andy Inch. (doi: 10.1080/09654313.2012.673564)

Inch, A. (2012) 'Cultural work', spatial planning and the politics of renewing public sector planning professionalism in England Town Planning Review Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.3828/tpr.2012.32)

Inch, A. (2012) Creating 'a generation of NIMBYs'? Interpreting the role of the state in managing the politics of urban development Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1068/c11156)

Inch, A. (2010) Culture change as identity regulation: The micro-politics of producing spatial planners in England Planning Theory and Practice Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/14649357.2010.500133)

Inch, A. (2009) Planning at the crossroads again: Re-evaluating street-level regulation of the contradictions in New Labour's planning reforms Planning Practice and Research Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/02697450902742189)

Inch, A., Marshall, T. (2007) A review of recent critical studies of UK planning International Planning Studies Scopus - Elsevier. (doi: 10.1080/13563470701346634)

Book

Clifford, B., Gunn, S., Inch, A., Schoneboom, A., Slade, J., Tait, M., Vigar, G. (2024) The future for planners: Commercialisation, professionalism and the public interest in the UK Future for Planners Commercialisation Professionalism and the Public Interest in the Uk Scopus - Elsevier. ISBN 9781447366027 9781447366058

Book Section

Inch, A. (2023) The public good and the power of promises in planning Handbook on Planning and Power Scopus - Elsevier. ISBN 9781839109751 9781839109768 (doi: 10.4337/9781839109768.00021)

Inch, A. (2017) ‘CULTURAL WORK’ AND THE REMAKING OF PLANNING’S ‘APPARATUS OF TRUTH’ Routledge Handbook of Planning Theory Scopus - Elsevier. ISBN 9781138905016 9781317444862 (doi: 10.4324/9781315696072-16)

Conference Proceedings

Jupp, E., Inch, A. (2012) Introduction Planning as a profession in uncertain times Town Planning Review Scopus - Elsevier. ISSN 00410020 1478341X (doi: 10.3828/tpr.2012.31)

Supervision

  • Jiang, Yuntong
    Colin Ward’s Gentle Anarchism: Reinvestigating 1970s Radical Planning and the Potential for Citizen Control in Urban Planning

Andy has supervised PhD projects on a range of topics including culture-led regeneration, community planning and storytelling, the public interest, university-community partnerships and neighbourhood planning.

He is particularly interested in supervising students interested in pursuing theoretically-informed work on the politics of planning and land development, and the role of communities and activism in shaping urban change.

 

Teaching

Andy convenes the PGT modules URBAN5158 Planning Theory and Values and URBAN5112 Community Empowerment and Engagement. He also contributes to URBAN5157 Planning Systems and Procedures.

 

Additional information

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-inch-84a91054/


Headshot of Andy Inch