Newcastle University

This year the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) gave their “Excellence in spatial planning research” award for academics to Mike Coombes (CURDS) together with Colin Jones (Heriot-Watt University).

The award was for research published in Housing Studies highlighting the need for planning professionals, when considering the need for new housing in any area, to recognise that each housing tenure has its own set of market areas.

RTPI judges praised the clarity of the argument and clear presentation of results. The challenge had been to take results from very complex research analyses and draw out implications that help housing planning professionals so that the research can have a real and positive impact across the country.