This page collects writing by myself, Stephen Rowley, predominantly relating to urban planning, film, and – when I’m feeling extra fancy – the links between the two.
I am the author of two books – The Victorian Planning System: Practice, Problems and Prospects and Movie Towns and Sitcom Suburbs: Building Hollywood’s Ideal Communities. Some other notable writing is listed here.
I work in Melbourne as a planning consultant, under the banner of my own consultancy, RCI Planning, and also part time as a Senior Associate at SGS Economics and Planning. I am also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University. Before starting at Monash, I taught in the planning program at RMIT University from 2013 to 2020.
I am a Planning Editor for the Victorian Planning Reports, contributing mainly to the writing of editorial comment upon VCAT decisions. With Tim Westcott and Gilda di Vincenzo, I was co-editor of the magazine Planning News from July 2007 to December 2010. There is more information about our work on Planning News at this link; most of my writing for the magazine (both from my time as co-editor and since) is on this site under this tag.
I am a former Vice President of the Victorian Division of the Planning Institute of Australia. I served on the Victorian Division committee for several years, also serving as Policy Convenor.
I have written widely on planning, with a particular focus on regulatory planning and planning system design. Much of that writing is archived on this site. I am a regular invited speaker on planning matters, presenting at sessions organised by The Planning Institute of Australia, The Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association, RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, The Victorian Greens, and the National Trust.
For many years I had a hobby of writing online film reviews and articles, initially at my old site Cinephobia and then here (amongst a few other places). You will find the less embarrassing of that writing archived on this site.
I have a PhD from the University of Melbourne and am a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia.
