Ian Cook

Ian Cook is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University's Department of Social Sciences since 2011. His work bridges Geography, Urban Studies, and Criminology, focusing on cities through public spaces, policy mobilities, sex work, and fictional representations of urban environments in crime dramas.

• Research Themes:
  • Subterranean Places: Investigates pedestrian underpasses in Newcastle and their sensory, gendered, and aged dimensions.
  • Policy Mobilities: Studies the global transfer of urban development models like Business Improvement Districts and waterfront regeneration, analyzing learning mechanisms through study tours and conferences.
  • Sex Work: Examines policing of street sex work, international policy circulation, platform-based sex work, and academic activism in the field.
  • Fictional Cities: Explores urban representation in crime fiction, notably Edinburgh in Ian Rankin's John Rebus series and Albuquerque in Breaking Bad.

Key Trends in Publications: Recent work emphasizes sensory criminology, policy transfer mechanisms, and the interplay between physical urban environments and narrative representations. Articles span interdisciplinary topics linking geography with criminology and literary analysis.

Professional Recognition: Fellow of Advance HE, reflecting commitment to academic excellence. Organized the Sex Work Research Hub Postgraduate Conference in 2018.

Academic Background: Holds a PhD in Geography from 2008.