Projects per year
Personal profile
Interests
Dr. Geraint Ellis is a Professor in the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen's University, Belfast. He also holds the position of Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography, Western University, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), was a member of the Assessment Panel for UoA 13 for REF2021, and currently sits on the Assessment Panel for the Economic and Social Research Council.. In 2018 he was also appointed by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC).
His key research interests are in planning and sustainability, renewable energy, planning governance and healthy urban planning. He has published widely on these topics and is a Co-Editor of the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning (http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjoe20/current, Twitter: @JrlEPP) and a founding member of the Editorial Board of Cities and Health journal.
He joined Queen's in 1998, having previously worked for community and environmental organisations in the east end of London (1990-1993), acted as a planning and community development advisor to the Government of Lesotho in Southern Africa (1993-1996) and the Cross River Partnership in central London (1996-1998).
Geraint is active in the Northern Ireland voluntary sector, having been a Board Director of Belfast Healthy Cities , a founder member of Transition Town Whitehead and the current Chair of a refugee support group, Whitehead Small World Group. He was also previously a director of Transport 2000 (NI), Sustainable NI, Community Technical Aid (now Community Places). He has also provided planning advice to the Traveller Movement (NI) and Friends of the Earth (NI). He also acts as the Irish contact for the International Network of Urban Research and Action ( INURA ), has been an advisor to the Centre for Education in the Built Environment ( CEBE) and a member of the UK's Sustainable Development Panel. For over ten years he held the position as the National Expert for Ireland on the International Energy Agency's Task 28 Working Group on the Social Acceptance of Wind Energy.
He has been the Course Director for both the BSc Environmental Planning and the M.Plan in European Planning and previously coordinated the School's Erasmus Programme and other internationalization initiatives, including an exchange programme with Indian Planning Schools.
You can follow Geraint on Twitter @gellis23
Research Statement
Geraint's research interests lie in the broad field of spatial planning and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on environmental governance, renewable energy, marine spatial planning, environmental justice and equality issues in planning. He has also written and research on pedagogy in planning and environmental education. He has been involved in a range of research projects funded by UK research councils and others, with his most recent projects focussing on renewable energy and the walkability of built environments.
Teaching
Geraint is currently the module coordinator for the following:
Planning and Climate Change (EVP2009)
Urban Futures (EVP7040)
He has coordinated a range of other modules and regularly contributes to other modules, including Legal Studies in Planning (EVP3010), Independent Research Project (EVP3011), and Planning Skills and Ethics (EVP8012).
He supervises around 10 undergraduate and Masters students every year on their dissertations and currently has six Ph.D students as supervisees.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 4 Quality Education
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 14 Life Below Water
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R3577BSC: Office for Environmental Protection Evidence synthesis: Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by urban and rural development
Emmerson, M. (PI), Ellis, G. (CoI) & Slevin, A. (CoI)
20/02/2024 → …
Project: Research
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R2087CPH: Medicines in an ageing society – an interdisciplinary research programme: MED-AGE
McGuinness, B. (PI), Barry, H. (CoI), Carney, G. (CoI), Ellis, G. (CoI), Heron, N. (CoI), Hughes, C. (CoI), Maguire, A. (CoI), McKenna, G. (CoI) & Montgomery, L. (CoI)
13/12/2023 → …
Project: Research
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R1857NBE: Improving the PERformance of MArine GOVernance (PERMAGOV)
Flannery, W. (PI), Ellis, G. (CoI), Fox-Rogers, L. (CoI), Kelly, C. (CoI) & Waldron, R. (CoI)
08/02/2023 → …
Project: Research
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R1538CPH: GroundsWell: Community and Data Led Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health
Hunter, R. (PI), Barry, J. (CoI), Bryan, D. (CoI), Clarke, M. (CoI), Ellis, G. (CoI), Garcia, L. (CoI), Jurek-Loughrey, A. (CoI), Kee, F. (CoI), Longo, A. (CoI), Mac Sithigh, D. (CoI), Maguire, A. (CoI), Murtagh, B. (CoI) & O'Neill, C. (CoI)
09/07/2021 → …
Project: Research
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Long-term follow-up of the public health impacts and co-benefits of an urban greenway intervention: a natural experiment evaluation
Nguyen, D., Tate, C., Akaraci, S., Wang, R., Kee, F., Mullineaux, S., O'Neill, C., Cleland, C., Murtagh, B., Ellis, G., Bryan, D., Longo, A., Garcia, L., Clarke, M. & Hunter, R. F., Sept 2026, In: Health & Place. 101, 9 p., 103725.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile31 Downloads (Pure) -
Supportive environments for physical and social activity, healthy ageing and cognitive health (SPACE)
Hunter, R., Cleland, C., Garcia, L., McKinley, J., McKnight, A. J., Neville, C., McHugh-Power, J., O’Reilly, D., Duong, T., Ellis, G., Kee, F., O’Kane, N., Avila-Palencia, I., Gupta, Y., Mullineaux, S., Wang, R., Corr, R., Kucukali, H., Trott, M. & Quinn, K. & 5 others, , 26 Feb 2026, Healthy ageing. Social, behavioural and design innovations in research. Phillips, J. & Douglas, E. (eds.). Policy Press, p. 64-78 15 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
A fairytale of Belfast: a 'change story' of urban transformation
Ellis, G., Sobout, A. & Martire, A., 11 Sept 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
33 Downloads (Pure) -
Built environment influences on park visits for older adults: insights from a machine learning approach
Kou, R., Hunter, R. F., Cleland, C., Ferguson, S., Schipperijn, J., Peng, Q. & Ellis, G., Oct 2025, In: Cities. 165, 106143.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile14 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)65 Downloads (Pure) -
Deliberative futures workshops for transformative sustainability
Revez, A., Harris, C., Dunphy, N., Ó Gallachóir, B., Byrne, E., Boyle, E., McGookin, C., Barry, J., Bolger, P., Rogan, F., Ellis, G., O’Dwyer, B., Flood, S., Creed, E. & Mullally, G., 17 Sept 2025, Imagining, designing and teaching regenerative futures: art-science approaches and inspirations from around the world. Bentz, J. & Trajković, J. R. (eds.). Springer, p. 15-22 8 p. (Science for Sustainable Societies ).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile31 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Interviews and public events with key stakeholders in the Irish energy transition
Määttä, S. (Creator) & Ellis, G. (Supervisor), Queen's University Belfast, 09 May 2022
DOI: 10.17034/b6bff556-985d-4a5f-9105-d2465d2c77ec
Dataset
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Interviews and public events with key stakeholders in the Scottish energy transition
Määttä, S. (Creator) & Ellis, G. (Supervisor), Queen's University Belfast, 09 Sept 2022
DOI: 10.17034/8b0f92a0-4545-4495-9312-b3274b4cd9d7
Dataset
File
Prizes
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Certificate of Recognition for Exceptional Contribution to Local Agenda 21 in Northern Ireland for the Research Report "Cycling and Local Agenda 21 in Northern Ireland"
Ellis, G. (Recipient), 15 May 2000
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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European Planning Studies Prize 2002
Ellis, G. (Recipient), 11 Jul 2002
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Irish National Expert on the International Energy Agency's Working group on social acceptance of wind energy
Ellis, G. (Recipient), 01 Mar 2011
Prize: Appointment
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Most Cited Paper 2012: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
Ellis, G. (Recipient), 30 Jun 2012
Prize: Other distinction
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Activities
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RC21 2026 Conference on Urban and Regional Development: Inequalities and the City
Ellis, G. (Organiser), Pineo, H. (Organiser), Fleischer, F. (Participant), Borde, E. (Participant), Taylor, M. (Participant) & Marques, E. (Participant)
22 Jul 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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RTPI Ireland Annual Lecture 2026: From Here to Eternity? Place and the Future in Planning Practice
Ellis, G. (Advisor)
22 Jun 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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External Examiner for PhD at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
Ellis, G. (Examiner)
18 Feb 2025Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination
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The Swedish Research Council Formas (External organisation)
Ellis, G. (Advisor)
01 Feb 2025 → 02 Apr 2025Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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External PhD Examiner at Danish Technical University
Ellis, G. (Examiner)
31 Jan 2025Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination
Press/Media
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Expert comment and debate on BBC Radio Ulster Nolan Show re demolition of listed Boyne Bridge in Belfast
15/01/2025
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Expert comment and debate on BBC Radio Ulster Nolan Show re planning governance around the development of Belfast Central Station
09/12/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Expert comment on delays related to major urban development projects in Northern ireland
27/11/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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What is the environmental cost of NI's car dependency?
08/09/2024 → 11/09/2024
2 Media contributions
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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RTE Investigates: The Planning Trap - Prof Ellis provides epxert commentary
04/12/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment