Mark Stephens

Professor Mark Stephens holds the Ian Mactaggart Chair in Land, Property and Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow's School of Social and Political Sciences. He rejoined Glasgow in 2020 after eight years as Director of The Urban Institute at Heriot-Watt University. With a background in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from Oxford University and a PhD from Glasgow on Economic and Monetary Union and Housing, his work bridges economics and interdisciplinary urban studies.

His research focuses on housing systems' interplay with broader socio-economic structures, emphasizing comparative international studies. Key areas include housing welfare regimes, policy transfer, land value capture, and housing poverty. He has led major policy evaluations for UK and EU governments, including the Evaluation of English Housing Policy and the EU Study on Housing and Exclusion.

Stephens is deeply engaged in policy advising, serving on UK Government panels, the Scottish Government’s Post-Covid Housing Policy Circle, and the Social Justice and Fairness Commission. He co-edits the UK Housing Review and the Routledge book series on Housing Studies. His editorial roles include founding editor of the International Journal of Housing Policy and former editor of Urban Studies.

Recent articles highlight housing's role in central bank policies, resilience post-financial crises, and global housing system comparisons. His work emphasizes housing's societal role, advocating evidence-based policy and ethical housing frameworks.