Peter TOWNROE

p.townroe@dpu-associates.net
Specialisation
Issues related to the economic aspects of urban and regional growth and change, including industrial location policies, small business development, technology transfer and the economic appraisal of urban investment options.

Country experience
Pakistan, Brasil, Indonesia, Swaziland, Malaysia, Montserrat.


Educational qualifications

1966
BA in Economics with subsidiary Sociology, Sheffield

1971
MA in Economics, Sheffield

1985
DLitt in Economics, East Anglia

EMPLOYMENT

1997-
Independent Economic Development Consultant, and also Associate of PACEC (Public and Corporate Economic Consultants) of Cambridge and London, working for public sector clients.

1998-2006
Part-time Lecturer at the Development Planning Unit (DPU), University College London (UCL). Teaching on a post-graduate course on monitoring and evaluation.

1997-2005
Independent Inspector for the UK Planning Inspectorate. On the panel of inspectors responsible for hearing Rights of Way Appeals and Access to Open Countryside Appeals.

1997-2003
Visiting Professor, Sheffield Hallam University.

1990-97
Professor of Urban and Regional Studies and Director of the School of Urban and Regional Studies, Sheffield Hallam University. Responsible for a staff of 120 and a budget of approximately £5m. The School offered vocational undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in town planning, housing management and real estate management and appraisal, as well as having three self-funding research centres.

1988-90
Dean of the School of Economics & Social Studies, University of East Anglia.

1978-90
Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of East Anglia.

1969-78
Lecturer in Economics, University of East Anglia.

1966-69
Research Associate and Assistant Lecturer, Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham (UK).

VISITING APPOINTMENTS

2001-02
Visiting Professor and consultant on an EU Environmental Business Development Research Project, University of Business and Economics, Vienna.

1985
Short-term teaching position, Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia.

1984
Lecture tour of China, under the British Council.

1980-81
Resident Consultant, Urban and Regional Economics Division, The World Bank, Washington DC.

1979
Two week study tour of Hungary, under the British Council.

1977
Visiting Research Fellow, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley, and consulant to the Department of Commerce, US Government.

1976
Visiting Professor, Department of Geography, University of Washington, Seattle.

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CONSULTANCY

2005
Montserrat. Team Leader and responsible for the economic appraisal of the proposed Little Bay Urban Development on the island of Montserrat (DFID).

2004
UK. Evaluation of the Urban Research Programme of the 1997-2003 for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

2001
UK. Studies for the University of Essex.

1998-2000
UK. Studies for the TCPA and the RTPI.

1992
Malaysia. Appraisal of industrial development policies in relation to the administration and powers of regional governments (UNDP).

1987
Indonesia. Evaluation of the industrial location issues and policies in relation to the development of Greater Jakarta (UNDP).

1985-90
Europe. Member of the URBINNO Project: a Volkswagen Foundation and European Union financed project in ten European countries concerned with Innovation in Urban Development.

1983
Swaziland. Evaluation of industrial estate development policy (World Bank).

1978-81
Brazil. Sao Paulo Decentralisation Study, responsible for a large industrial location survey and evaluation of the impact of direct policy instruments and indirect policy context (World Bank).

1976-78
USA. Research Department: review of developed country experience with industrial decentralisation policy instruments of relevance to developing countries (World Bank).

1974-75
Pakistan. Urban Sector Survey, responsible for the Industrial Location issues (World Bank).

Undertaken various studies in the UK, individually or in collaboration, on urban and regional development issues and the appraisal of proposed investments. The themes included local economic development strategies: for the Department of Transport; Department of Trade and Industry; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Rural Development Commission; Ministry of Defence; Welsh Development Agency; Scottish Enterprise; many local authorities; two UK universities; Economic and Social Research Council and various quangos.



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