James White is Lecturer in 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 assumed his current post at the University of Glasgow in 2012. He is convenor of the planning programmes within Urban Studies and delivers the urban design components of the subject area's post-graduate curriculum. James is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Chartered Town Planner and a Member of the Urban Design Group. He is currently the co-chair of the urban design track at the Association of the Collegiate Schools of Planning Annual Conference (North America) and a member of The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh's World Heritage Trust) Urban Design Group. 

James is interested in the theory and application of design governance and his research focuses is on the tools and mechanisms that planners use to shape the built environment and enhance the design quality of real estate development and the public realm. James' research also specifically examines how urban design ideas and concepts are 'mobilised' between different cities and how local planning and development cultures impact spatial planning and design outcomes. He is especially interested in urban design and high-rise residential development, as well as the post-austerity context for urban design and the challenges associated with widening opportunities for participation in the design and planning process. 

His recent work has examined urban design processes both in the UK and in Canada, with a particular focus on the design governance of large-scale regeneration projects, including waterfronts, and the repurposing of vacant and derelict land. James' recent publications include a case study of urban design on Toronto's waterfront in Canada and an examination of policy mobilisation and high-rise residential devleopment in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. He is also conducting research on urban agriculture and public participation in Glasgow, and the application of Western urban design concepts in Chinese cities.

Co-I, UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), ESRC, AHRC and the Joesph Rowntree Foundation, 2016-2021

PI, Unraveling Vancouverism: A comparative study of residential development trends in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada-UK Foundation Travel Award, 2016

Co-I, Healthy Design? Understanding the Edible City on Glasgow’s Southside, Adam Smith Research Foundation, 2013

PI, The Evolution of Masterplanning Principles: A Case Study of Toronto’s Waterfront, Foundation for Canadian Studies in the United Kingdom, Foundation Travel Award, 2013

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

Current students

John Cox 'A Place for Urban ‘Character’ within Urban Design and Development'. Jointly supervised with Dr Rebecca Madgin.

Michael Kordas  ‘Whose vision, whose place, whose future? Charrettes in the Scottish planning system’. Joint supervised with Professor David Adams. Michael holds an ESRC Doctoral Studentship (1+3) Award.

Linda Shatabi 'Urban Conservation and Environmental Sustainability in Scottish Urban Planning Policy and Practice'. Jointly supervised with Dr Rebecca Madgin.

Yang Wang 'Mapping place attachment: Towards a psychological approach to historic environment conservation in cities'. Jointly supervised with Dr Rebecca Madgin. Yang holds an Urban Studies Foundation Scholarship.

Convenor 

• REPR Planning Programmes

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.
• Sustainable Housing Development - a 20-credit course that introduces post-graduate students to the concept of sustainability as it relates to the neighbourhood and housing design.

Contributor

• Regenerating Cities
• Research Methods

Lecture and seminar invitations

Canada: University of British Columbia, Vancouver. 'Toronto's Vancouverism'. Invited Speaker. November 2016.

United Kingdom: Architecture and Design Scotland, Glasgow. DECADE Participate! Working Towards Co-production in planning and design. Invited Speaker. October 2015

United States: State University of New York at Albany. Challenging the Rule of Experts: A Participatory Urban Design Competition on Toronto’s Waterfront. Invited Speaker. November 2013.

Canada: Ryerson University, Toronto. What Role for the Public? A participatory design competition on Toronto’s waterfront. Invited Speaker. November 2013

United Kingdom: Scottish Government, HRH The Prince of Wales, and the Prince’s Foundation for Community. The national urban design agenda and urban design pedagogy at Scottish universities. Invited panellist. March 2013.

Academic and Professional Memberships

• Fellow, Higher Education Academy
• Chartered Member, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
• Member, Urban Design Group

Academic, External Examining and Professional Service

• Member, Urban Design Group, The Cockburn Association (The Edinburgh Civic Trust), 2016 –  
• Management Committee Member, Govanhill Housing Association, 2016 –
• Invited Witness, Oral Evidence Session, Local Government and Regeneration Committee, Scottish Parliament, January 2016
• Track Chair, Urban Design, Association of the Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), 2016 –
• External Reviewer, University of Strathclyde, MSc/PgDip in Urban Design, 2013, 2015
• Editorial Board Member, Academy of Urbanism Journal, 2014-15

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