Tony Hargreaves

Dr Tony Hargreaves is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham, part of the School of Engineering. He has over a decade of prior research experience at the University of Cambridge and holds a PhD and MSc in transport planning and engineering from the University of Leeds, and a BSc in civil engineering from Loughborough University. He is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE).

• BSc, Civil Engineering – Loughborough University (First Class Honours, Brinkworth Prize)
• MSc, Transport Planning and Engineering – University of Leeds
• PhD, Transport Planning and Engineering – University of Leeds

Tony's research centers on the interdependencies between urban spatial planning and infrastructure systems, particularly energy, transport, water, and waste. He develops advanced spatial interaction and integrated socio-economic models to assess how urban form influences the viability of sustainable technologies. His work combines physical modeling of buildings with macro-scale urban forecasting to inform sustainable and resilient city development.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on modeling urban systems across scales, with particular emphasis on decentralized energy, water sustainability, and land-use transport integration. The articles reveal a strong trend toward interdisciplinary modeling that bridges engineering, urban planning, and environmental science, often applied to UK city regions like London, Cambridge, and Tyne & Wear, with comparative studies in Beijing and São Paulo.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Brinkworth Prize, Loughborough University
• Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Member, Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE)

Tony has supervised and examined postgraduate students and delivered training and lectures internationally, including at Chongqing University and Harbin Institute of Technology. He has been a Co-Investigator and Project Manager on major EPSRC and government-funded projects such as ReVISIONS, SOLUTIONS, Liveable Cities, and Urban Living Birmingham. These projects involved collaboration with multiple UK and international universities and had policy impacts, including influencing urban planning in the Cambridge sub-region. He is also a reviewer for leading journals in energy, transport, and urban planning.

He has been actively involved in research teams focused on urban metabolism, sustainable infrastructure, and smart cities, contributing to the development of tools like the Integrated Economic and Spatial Modelling Tool. His work continues to explore how urban connectivity and mobility can be transformed for healthier, cleaner, and more efficient cities.