Iain Deas

Iain Deas is a Reader in Urban & Regional Policy and Planning at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the Department of Planning, Property and Environmental Management. He is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and active in the Manchester Urban Institute. His research focuses on territorial governance, regional policy, and urban development, with a particular emphasis on the Manchester city-region, the Northern Powerhouse initiative, and inter-city networking. He holds a PhD from the University of Manchester, a BSc in Geography from the University of Glasgow, and an MSc in Urban Development from the University of Strathclyde.

Deas’s recent work explores topics such as inter-regional transport infrastructure, urban resilience in crises (e.g., via temporary uses during the pandemic), and the equity implications of housing policies. He has contributed to over 70 publications, including peer-reviewed articles in journals like European Planning Studies and Environment and Planning B. He is a researcher in the Spatial Policy and Analysis Laboratory and Research Group, focusing on China and UK case studies.

His research aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities and communities. Media engagement includes a featured article in THE CONVERSATION discussing temporary urban solutions for crisis response. He currently supervises 11 PhD students and actively accepts new PhD candidates.