Ben Clifford

Ben Clifford is Professor of Spatial Planning and Governance at the University College London's Bartlett School of Planning, where he has been a faculty member since April 2009, with promotions to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and finally Professor. Born and raised in Croydon, he holds a PhD from King's College London and a background in geography from the University of St Andrews. His extensive academic career includes visiting positions at the University of Melbourne and Public Health England.

• Professor of Spatial Planning and Governance (Current)
• Associate Professor (2018-2023)
• Senior Lecturer (2017-2018)
• Lecturer (2009-2017)
• Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne (2021-2023)
• Honorary Associate Professor, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2020-present)

Ben Clifford's research focuses on planning system reform in the UK, governance of the built environment, planning professionalism, public engagement, devolution, and the consequences of planning deregulation. His work on permitted development earned him the RTPI prize for research excellence in 2018, and he was named by Apolitical as one of the '100 Most Influential Academics in Government' in the UK in 2021. His research portfolio includes extensive work on local authority housebuilding, deregulation, and the public interest in planning.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on adaptive reuse of buildings, particularly office-to-residential conversions, examining their implications for housing quality, public health, and urban planning. His work increasingly intersects with public health concerns, especially in the post-pandemic context, while maintaining a critical perspective on planning deregulation and its impacts on communities.

• RTPI prize for research excellence (2018)
• Apolitical '100 Most Influential Academics in Government' (2021)
• Expert Advisor to Parliamentary (APPG) Inquiry (2023)
• CLG Select Committee contributor (2021)

As Programme Director for the MSc Spatial Planning and MSc Spatial Planning Degree Apprenticeship at UCL, Clifford has significantly shaped planning education. He led the design of the MPlan City Planning and MSc Spatial Planning Degree Apprenticeship programmes. His teaching focuses on governance, operation, politics, and reform of the UK's statutory planning system. From 2011-2023, he served as departmental tutor overseeing all taught postgraduate students and courses in the Bartlett School of Planning.

Clifford's work extends to practical policy contributions, regularly engaging with government bodies including DLUHC civil servants, the National Planning Forum, and parliamentary committees. His research on permitted development has been widely cited in media, parliamentary committees, and broadcast media, demonstrating significant real-world impact on planning policy debates.