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Mark Dobson

Lecturer of Planning and Development

Mark Dobson

Specialisms

  • UK Planning System and Local Government, 
  • Public Sector Austerity, 
  • Policy Reform

Location

EM 164, Whiteknights Campus

Mark Dobson is a Lecturer in Planning & Development within the Department of Real Estate & Planning.

His core teaching and research interests focus on planning and development theory, policy and practice. Particularly where these intersect with conceptions of neoliberalism, sustainability and public interest and how these shape the politics around land-use and development decision-making.

Qualifications

  • PhD Planning & Development - University of Reading’
  • MA Geography - King’s College London.
  • BSc Geography - Kingston University London.
  • Associate Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (AssocRTPI)
  • Chartered Geographer & Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (CGeog-FRGS)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Member of the Town & Country Planning Association

Reference: Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2025) The moral economy of localism in England: neighbourhood planning as neoliberal ‘apprentice piece'. Territory Politics Governance, 13 (4). pp. 488-504. ISSN 2162-2671 doi: 10.1080/21622671.2023.2184856
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson - Gavin Parker
Reference: Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2025) The temporal governance of planning in England: planning reform, Uchronia and ‘Proper Time'. Planning Theory, 24 (1). pp. 21-42. ISSN 1741-3052 doi: 10.1177/14730952241226570
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson - Gavin Parker
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2025) Examining the discourse of ‘delay’ in urban governance: project speed and the politicisation of time in the English Planning System. Cities, 158. 105709. ISSN 1873-6084 doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.105709
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Dobson, M. , (2025) Planning time and performance project - the use and impact of extensions of time (EoTs) in planning practice in England. Report. University of Reading and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson
Reference: Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2024) Slow planning? Timescapes, power and democracy. Policy Press, Bristol, pp188. ISBN 9781447367703
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson - Gavin Parker
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2024) Diagnosing delay in planning: Dobry at 50. Town and Country Planning, 93 (3). pp. 173-177. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2024) Planning change and its purpose: the planning system as a modern ‘ship of theseus’. Town and Country Planning, 93 (5). pp. 275-280. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2024) Timescapes: to follow Ebenezer Howard or Ebenezer Scrooge? Town and Country Planning, 93 (6). pp. 344-346. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2023) Words (in)action: the orchestration of participation in planning through Statements of Community Involvement in England. Town Planning Review. ISSN 1478-341X doi: 10.3828/tpr.2023.6
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson - Gavin Parker
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2023) Planning in time, time for planning, and time to plan — 'timescaping' and its implications for practice. Town and Country Planning, 92 (Jul-Aug). pp. 243-247. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2023) ‘Do the right thing’: planning at the intersection of the ‘culture wars’. Town and Country Planning, 92 (6). pp. 381-386. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson
Reference: Parker, G. , Dobson, M. and Lynn, T. (2022) Governmental logics in commercialised planning practices: the case of Local Authority Pre-Application Negotiations in the English planning system. Planning Theory & Practice, 23 (1). pp. 60-80. ISSN 1464-9357 doi: 10.1080/14649357.2021.2011388
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Lynn, T. , Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2021) Some lessons from development negotiations in England. Town and Country Planning, 90 (1/2). ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Tessa Lynn - Mark Dobson - Gavin Parker
Reference: Parker, G. , Dobson, M. and Lynn, T. , (2021) Community involvement opportunities for the reformed planning system: frontloading and deliberative democracy. Report. Henley Business School, Reading. pp61.
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Parker, G. , Dobson, M. and Lynn, T. , (2021) Paper Tigers’: a critical review of Statements of Community Involvement in England. Report. Civic Voice, Birmingham. pp46.
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Parker, G. , Dobson, M. and Lynn, T. (2021) Statements of community involvement: setting the bar or barring engagement? Town and Country Planning, 90 (9-10). pp. 322-327. ISSN 0040-9960
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Parker, G. , Wargent, M. , Linovski, O., Schoneboom, A., Gunn, S., Slade, D., Odeleye, N.-D., Maidment, C. , Shepherd, E. , Doak, J. , Elliot, T., Nicholls, V. , Street, E. , Dobson, M. , Platts, S. and Tasan-Kok, T. (2020) The future of the planning profession. Planning Theory & Practice, 21 (3). pp. 453-480. ISSN 1464-9357 doi: 10.1080/14649357.2020.1776014
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Christopher Maidment - Emma Street - Mark Dobson
Reference: Parker, G. , Dobson, M. , Lynn, T. and Salter, K. (2020) Entangling voluntarism, leisure time and political work: the governmentalities of neighbourhood planning in England. Leisure Studies, 39 (5). pp. 644-658. ISSN 1466-4496 doi: 10.1080/02614367.2020.1763440
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Parker, G. , Wargent, M. , Salter, K., Dobson, M. , Lynn, T. and Yuille, A., (2020) Impacts of neighbourhood planning in England. Report. University of Reading, London.
Henley faculty authors:
Gavin Parker - Mark Dobson - Tessa Lynn
Reference: Dobson, M. (2019) Neoliberal business as usual or paradigm shift? Planning under austerity localism. PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00085472
Henley faculty authors:
Mark Dobson

Contemporary Issues in Real Estate and Planning

Contemporary Issues in Real Estate and Planning aims to develop understanding of the significant range of local, national and global challenges and potential solutions directly and indirectly affected by the...

Module code: RE1ISS