Malcolm Tait

Malcolm Tait is Professor of Planning at the University of Sheffield. His work investigates the political nature of development decisions, particularly how they are managed through planning systems. He is currently involved in research to understand how commitments to reduce biodiversity loss through planning systems are working, principally in the UK. He is Principal Investigator of the Economic and Social Research Council project 'Planning for Nature' which aims to evaluate how planning is currently dealing with issues of biodiversity, how it manages tensions and relationships between economic, social, and environmental commitments, and how it might be reimagined to better protect nature. His wider work has sought to understand the nature of private sector involvement in the planning profession, how the public interest is understood in relation to development decisions, and the politics of urban change.