John Paul McCarthy

John Paul McCarthy is an Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University's School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, affiliated with The Urban Institute. He has been in academia since 1992, with prior experience as a spatial planning practitioner in London. He chairs the Partnership Boards of London South Bank University and Hong Kong University, and represents UK planning schools on the RTPI's Membership Assessment Advisory Group. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities and communities.

His research focuses on spatial planning, urban regeneration, and international comparative approaches. Notable projects include tax-based policy mechanisms for urban regeneration (funded by ESRC), arts/culture-driven sustainable regeneration (Carnegie Trust), and cruise terminal impacts in historic port cities (Carnegie Trust). Recent studies explore intergenerational hubs, 20-minute neighborhoods for aging populations, and community wealth-building strategies.

He has held editorial roles, such as for Urban, Planning and Transport Research, and delivered invited talks on topics like cruise terminals and aspirational regeneration. His activities include contributions to policy groups like Scotland's 2017 Planning Review Working Group.

Advising and grants: McCarthy has led projects funded by ESRC, Carnegie Trust, and others. His work emphasizes collaborative urban solutions, bridging academia and policy.

Labs/teams: Active within The Urban Institute, focusing on interdisciplinary urban research and policy impact.