Menelaos Gkartzios

Prof. Dr. Menelaos Gkartzios is a distinguished academic affiliated with the Department of City and Regional Planning at Middle East Technical University, with extensive experience at institutions including Newcastle University, Izmir Institute of Technology, and University College Dublin. He has served as a Visiting Professor at Tongji University and contributes to editorial boards such as Habitat International and Journal of Rural Studies.

Education:

• PhD in Regional & Urban Planning, University College Dublin (2008)
• MSc in Environmental Resource Management, University College Dublin (2003)
• MAgrSc in Agricultural Economics & Rural Development, Agricultural University of Athens (2002)
• PGCert in Advanced Studies in Academic Practice, Newcastle University (2014)

Research Focus: His work bridges sustainable rural development, urban-rural dynamics, and the cultural dimensions of place-making. Key themes include counterurbanisation, rural mobilities, and artistic practice in planning.

Publication Trends: Recent articles and books examine climate-driven migration, community co-creation, and rural housing paradoxes. His scholarship spans interdisciplinary frameworks, merging rural sociology, geography, and planning theory.

Leadership Roles: He co-leads the AESOP Thematic Group on Rural Planning and contributes to global planning discourse through edited volumes like The Routledge Companion to Rural Planning.