Professor Aidan While

School of Geography and Planning

Professor of Urban Planning

Aiden While profile photo
Profile picture of Aiden While profile photo
a.h.while@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6184
Room C4a, Geography and Planning Building

Full contact details

Professor Aidan While
School of Geography and Planning
Room C4a
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
Profile

Having studied for a BA and MA in English and Art History, I discovered urban planning through a studentship for the Masters in Civic Design (RTPI-accredited) at the University of Liverpool (1992-4).

My research and teaching combines interests in environmental and climate policy, urban technology and future cities and the politics of planning in the UK and internationally.  Those interests are reflected in current research on the social, environmental and urban impact of advances in robotics and automation, including new forms of climate engineering and automated ecological management.

I am co-director of the Urban Institute and Professor of Urban Planning in the School of Geography and Planning. I am recognised internationally for work on future cities and urban environmental policy. My research interests are reflected in current research on the social, environmental and urban impact of advances in robotics and automation, including new forms of automated ecological management. I'm currently a Dapeng Visiting Scholar at the University of Jinan, China (Shenzhen campus).

I have been Associate Editor for the  and I am currently an editorial board member for  and a member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Policy Review College. I am currently Dapeng Visiting Scholar at the University of Jinan, China (Shenzhen campus).

I have successfully supervised 20 PhD students.

Research interests

1. Environmental/climate policy â€“ I am interested in the factors that influence responses to environmental and climate change, including political and citizen resistance and conflict with social and economic interests. I am particularly interested in questions of environmental justice (who gains, who loses) from policies that do or not address environmental and climate challenges.

2. Robotics and the infrastructures of everyday life – I am the leader for the Sheffield Urban Institute’s research theme on Urban Automation and Robotics. We are at the forefront internationally of examining the impact of robotics in the public realm through drones, Autonomous Vehicles, delivery and service robotic and other forms of automation, with funded research undertaken in China, the USA, Africa and Japan as well as the UK. I work closely with robotic engineers to understand and explore future possibilities for urban robotic restructuring and how they might be managed and regulated in the public interest.

3. The politics of planning â€“ I have a core interest in the role of planning regulation in shaping urban and regional futures, with a particular interest in government-citizen relations and challenges for planning in managing growth.

Publications

Books

  • (2020) . Springer International Publishing.

Edited books

  • Deas I & Hincks S (Ed.) (2017) Territorial Politics and Governance: Alternative Paths. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Journal articles

  • While A & Pendlebury J (2025) . Antipode, 57(2), 734-757.
  • Kovacic M, Marvin S & While A (2024) . Urban Geography, 45(7), 1236-1255.
  • Lockhart A, Marvin S & While A (2023) . Geoforum, 145.
  • Hickman H & While A (2023) . Land Use Policy, 124, 106429-106429.
  • Macrorie R, Marvin S, Smith A & While A (2023) . Journal of Urban Technology, 30(3), 63-80.
  • Simoes Aelbrecht P & while A (2023) . Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 16(1), 42-64.
  • Marvin S, While A, Chen B & Kovacic M (2022) . Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 4.
  • Lin D & While AH (2022) . Political Geography, 97, 102685-102685.
  • While A & Eadson W (2022) . New Political Economy, 27(3), 385-402.
  • Lockhart A, While A, Marvin S, Kovacic M, Odendaal N & Alexander C (2021) . Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 46(4), 850-865.
  • While A, Marvin S & Kovacic M (2021) . Urban Studies, 58(4), 769-786.
  • Leary J, Czyrnek-Delêtre M, Alsop A, Eales A, Marandin L, Org M, Craig M, Ortiz W, Casillas C, Persson J , Dienst C et al (2020) . Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 133.
  • Taylor Buck N & While A (2020) . Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 64(2), 182-201.
  • Chen B, Marvin S & While A (2020) . Dialogues in Human Geography, 10(2), 238-241.
  • Inch A, Dunning R, While A, Hickman H & Payne S (2020) . Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 38(4), 713-732.
  • Dunnning R, Hickman H & While A (2020) . Town Planning Review, 91(3), 305-324.
  • Whittle C, Jones CR & While A (2020) . Energy Policy, 139.
  • Macrorie R, Marvin S & While A (2019) . Urban Geography, 42(2), 197-217.
  • While A & Eadson W (2019) . European Planning Studies, 27(8), 1626-1645.
  • Taylor Buck N & While A (2017) . Urban Studies, 54(2), 501-519.
  • While A (2016) . Planning Theory and Practice, 17(3), 319-322.
  • Sturge D, Sobotta D, Howell RJ, While A & Lou J (2015) . Renewable Energy, 80, 525-537.
  • While A (2014) . Planning Theory & Practice, 15(4), 447-450.
  • R. Jones C, Lange E, Kang J, Tsuchiya A, Howell R, While A, J. Crisp R, Steel J, Meade K, Qu F , Sturge D et al (2014) . AIMS Energy, 2(4), 461-484.
  • Sturge D, While A & Howell RJ (2013) . Energy Policy, 65, 245-250.
  • While A & Whitehead M (2013) . Urban Studies, 50(7), 1325-1331.
  • While A, Gibbs D & Jonas AEG (2013) . Environment and Planning A, 45(10), 2379-2398.
  • While A (2012) . Planning Theory & Practice, 13(4), 503-506.
  • While A (2012) . Area, 44(3), 392-393.
  • Leary J, While AH & Howell RJ (2012) . Energy Policy, 43(0), 173-183.
  • Jonas AEG, Gibbs D & While A (2011) . Urban Studies, 48(12), 2537-2554.
  • While A & Short M (2011) . AREA, 43(1), 4-13.
  • Jonas AEG, While AH & Gibbs DC (2010) . Regional Studies, 44(2), 183-200.
  • While A, Jonas AEG & Gibbs D (2010) . Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 35(1), 76-93.
  • Pendlebury J, Short M & While A (2009) . Cities, 26(6), 349-358.
  • Tait M & While A (2009) . Environment and Planning D Society and Space, 27(4), 721-737.
  • While A & Tait M (2009) . Planning Perspectives, 24(1), 77-97.
  • While A (2008) . Town Planning Review, 79(1), vii-xiii.
  • While A (2007) . Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 34(4), 645-663.
  • Gibbs DC, While AH & Jonas AEG (2007) . Environment and Planning A, 39(2), 339-358.
  • While A (2006) . Urban Studies, 43(13), 2399-2419.
  • While A, Jonas AEG & Gibbs D (2004) . International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 28(3), 549-569.
  • While A, Jonas AEG & Gibbs DC (2004) . Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 36(2), 279-304.
  • Jonas AEG, Gibbs DC & While A (2004) . Policy & Politics, 32(2), 151-168.
  • While A (2003) . Area, 35(3), 251-263.
  • While A & Haughton G (2001) . EUROPEAN PLANNING STUDIES, 9(6), 721-737.
  • While A & Bruff G (2001) . Regional Studies, 35(4), 363-367.
  • Haughton G, Jones M, Peck J, Tickell A & While A (2000) . Regional Studies, 34(7), 669-680.
  • While A, Littlewood S & Whitney D (2000) . Town Planning Review, 71(4), 395-413.
  • While A (2000) . Local Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit, 14(4), 329-345.
  • Haughton G & While A (1999) . Urban Affairs Review, 35(1), 3-23.
  • Littlewood S & While A (1997) . Local Government Studies, 23(4), 111-123.
  • Lin D & While A () . Urban Geography, 1-21.

Book chapters

  • While A (2023) , Artificial Intelligence and the City (pp. 99-113). Routledge
  • Castán Broto V, Robin E & While A (2020) , Climate Urbanism (pp. 243-252). Springer International Publishing
  • Castán Broto V, Robin E & While A (2020) , Climate Urbanism (pp. 1-11). Springer International Publishing
  • While A (2014) In Hodson M & Marvin S (Ed.), After Sustainable Cities? (pp. 41-58). London: Routledge.
  • Jonas AEG, While AH & Gibbs DC (2010) Carbon control regimes, eco-state restructuring and the politics of local and regional development, Handbook of Local and Regional Development (pp. 283-294).
  • () In Bulkeley H, Castán Broto V, Hodson M & Marvin S (Ed.) Routledge

Book reviews

  • While A, Berglund E, Pahl-Wostl C, Smith B & Rohilla S (2010) . Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 12(2), 223-233.
  • While A (2009) . Urban Studies, 46(8), 1749-1751.
  • While A (2008) . cultural geographies, 15(4), 521-522.
  • While A (2008) The practice of modernism: modern architects and urban transformation, 1954-1972. URBAN MORPHOLOGY, 12(1), 65-67.
  • While A (2005) . Progress in Human Geography, 29(3), 402-404.
  • While A (2003) Devolution in practice: Public policy differences within the UK. REGIONAL STUDIES, 37(8), 872-873.
  • While A (2003) City of revolution: Restructuring Manchester. URBAN STUDIES, 40(10), 2106-2107.

Conference proceedings

  • Macrorie R, Kovacic M, Lockhart A, Marvin S & While A (2020) . UK-RAS Conference for PhD and Early Career Researchers Proceedings, Vol. 3 (pp 61-62)
  • Leary J, Howell R, While A, Chiroque J, VerKamp K & Pinedo C (2012) . 2012 IEEE Third International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies (ICSET) (pp 396-401), 24 September 2012 - 27 September 2012.
  • While Aidan & Pendlebury John (2008)
  • Gibbs D, Jonas A & While A (2002) . Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, Vol. 4(2) (pp 123-138)

Reports

  • Marvin S, While A, Kovacic M, Macrorie RM & Lockhart A (2018) Urban Robotics and Automation: Critical Challenges, International Experiments and Transferable Lessons for the UK
  • Dunning R, Henneberry J, Inch A, Payne S, Watkins C, While A, Young G & Hickman H (2017) Attitudinal research on financial payments to reduce opposition to new homes
  • Dunning R, Watkins CA, Inch A, Payne S, While A, Young G, Hickman H, Bramley G, McIntosh S, Watkins D & Valler D (2014) The impact of the New Homes Bonus on attitudes and behaviour
Research group

PhD supervision 

I am Primary Supervisor for the following PhD students:

  • Jiaxi Yang, Digital villages and state strategies of rural development in China
  • Bei Chen, Automation and urban development in China: Xiong'an New Area
  • Hakjin Lee, UK neighbourhood planning after the plan
  • Ryan Belllinson, Co-production and the risky politics of climate urbanism: embedded research in Greater Manchester, UK

I welcome applications for PhD research on topics related to my main research interests, including: planning for climate change; low-carbon policy; the relationship between planning and economic development; growth management and sustainable development.

Teaching activities

My teaching seeks to promote (and provoke) critical debate about the processes and outcomes of decision-making and their potential social and environmental impacts. Emphasis is placed on helping students develop an appreciation of policy choices and the possibility for alternatives.

The intention is to equip graduates with the skills, knowledge and understanding to make a difference in their future careers. This combines a deep understanding the underlying logics of planning in the present with the skills and knowledge needed to anticipate and respond creatively to change in the future.

An important part of my teaching approach is to create space for discussion and debate through workshops, seminars and student presentations.

In 2007 I was awarded a University of Sheffield Senate Award for innovation in interdisciplinary environmental teaching.

I currently teach the following modules:

TRP 468                  Development Planning

TRP 461/6306         Planning Law and Development Control

TRP 329/618           Transport and Infrastructure

TRP 451/651           Managing Cities: Seoul Field Trip