New Dean Named to UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Contact: Anne Dybek, 312/996-8279, adybek@uic.edu

A British scholar of American urban policies and city governments has been named as the new dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Robin Hambleton, a professor of city management and associate dean in the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of the West of England, was chosen for the post after an extensive search. His appointment was approved March 14 by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. "UIC's identity has become that of a global university in a global city. The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs plays a vital role in developing and maintaining that reputation," said Chancellor Sylvia Manning. "We place a high value on the international perspective that Robin Hambleton brings with him to UIC." "We met with several excellent candidates, all of whom were tops in their field," said Charlotte “Toby” Tate, interim provost at UIC. "Robin Hambleton stood out as the logical choice to take the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs to the next level." "I am honored to be given this exciting opportunity to lead a remarkable college. UIC is one of the leading urban universities in the United States and the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs is held in high regard," said Hambleton. "I look forward to working with colleagues to advance the national and the international profile of the college." Hambleton will assume his new position in July. For much of his career, which spans more than 25 years, Hambleton has been engaged in transatlantic comparative research on urban and public affairs. Five of his 10 books have explored the topic, as have many of his 200-plus published articles. As associate dean responsible for research and consultancy in the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of the West of England since 1995, Hambleton took the lead in developing a research culture and advancing the overall success of the Built Environment in funded research. During his tenure, externally funded research in his academic units increased more than six-fold. He also helped to create five new research centers, including the multifaculty Center for Local Democracy, where he also serves as the director. The University of the West of England now has an international reputation for its research in the field of urban and public affairs and has hosted visits from numerous international scholars. Prior to his academic career, which began in 1979, Hambleton worked as a public policy professional for 11 years in UK central government and several inner-city local authorities, including London, Manchester and Newcastle. "Throughout my career, I have attempted to link academic analysis to the world of policy and practice," said Hambleton. "And, I have also been fascinated by the possibilities for expanding cross-national comparative urban research. Such research can build international understanding as well as generate lessons for public policy." Hambleton has carried out research on local political leadership, community involvement, urban regeneration, public management, local democracy, policy planning and public service delivery. In addition, he contributes regularly to public policy debates on radio and television. He has advised the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit and is an appointed adviser to ministers in the Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions, an agency similar to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He has advised approximately 50 UK local authorities, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union Committee of the Regions, and local governments in the United States and New Zealand. He is the only academic on the board of the Local Government Improvement and Development Agency for England and Wales. He is chair of the European Urban Research Association, which has members in 26 countries, and he serves on the International Advisory Committee of the UK Economic and Social Research Council, an agency that is similar to the National Science Foundation. Hambleton has been a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 1971 and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts since 1997. He won a Fulbright scholarship to study U.S. city government in 1988. A member of the governing board of the Urban Affairs Association, Hambleton has contributed to U.S. scholarship in urban and public affairs, presenting papers at more than 20 U.S. academic and professional conferences. Hambleton received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in town and regional planning from Sheffield University in 1968 and 1971, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in social science, with a focus on public management, in 1988 from the University of Bristol. For more information on Professor Hambleton and the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, visit the CUPPA webpage at www.uic.edu/cuppa Copyright ©2003, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.