Hannah Hickman

Hannah is Associate Professor of Planning Practice in the School of Architecture and Environment. She joined UWE as a member of staff in 2017 after a career involving senior leadership roles in both the public and private sectors as a professional town planner.

She is passionate about the value of research in achieving change in policy and practice and was selected as The Planner's “Women of Influence 2022: Academia”. She is chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Chair of the University of Cape Town RTPI Partnership Board, Vice-Chair of the University of Newcastle RTPI Partnership Board, and a UK representative on the Association of European Schools of Planning.

Her research interests include: strategic spatial planning; nationally significant infrastructure planning; and, professional practice, ethics and motivation.

Her most recent research projects have included: the role of local planning authorities in delivering brownfield land (for the Planning Advisory Service); improving post-planning processes to deliver better places (for the West of England Combined Authority and winner of the 2021 Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Sir Peter Hall Award for Research Excellence); and project-hindsight: post-decision implementation (for the National Infrastructure Planning Association and winner of the 2024 RTPI Sir Peter Hall Award for Research Excellence). Hannah recently led research for the RTPI's on ‘Strategic Planning in England – Current Practice and Future Directions' (2024).

Hannah is currently a Co-I on the ESRC funded RETROFIT UK research project led by Glasgow University, and is leading research for the National Infrastructure Planning Association on meaningful consultation in infrastructure consultation.