Mark Dobson
Lecturer of Planning and Development
Assessment Lead
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
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
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
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: Parker, G. and Dobson, M. (2025) Time and the ‘temporal turn’ in planning theory and practice: an agenda. Town Planning Review. ISSN 1478-341X doi: 10.3828/tpr.2025.35
Reference: Dobson, M. and Parker, G. (2024) Slow planning? Timescapes, power and democracy. Policy Press, Bristol, pp188. ISBN 9781447367703
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 DobsonContemporary 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...
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Specialisms
- UK Planning System and Local Government
- Public Sector Austerity
- Policy Reform
Location
EM 164, Whiteknights Campus