Robin Hickman

Robin Hickman serves as Professor of Transport and City Planning at The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, where he also directs the MSc in Transport & City Planning program. His academic journey includes previous positions as Reader and Senior Lecturer at UCL, and research roles at the University of Oxford's Transport Studies Unit from 2009-2016. Prior to his academic career, Hickman gained substantial industry experience as Associate Director at Halcrow Group (2004-2011), working on transport planning and masterplanning projects.

His educational background includes a PhD from University College London completed in 2007. Professional affiliations include membership in the Royal Town Planning Institute, Transport Planning Society, The Urban Design Group, and the Town & Country Planning Association. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Urban Design and contributes a regular column 'Off the Rails' to the Town & Country Planning journal.

Hickman's research focuses on sustainable transport systems, transport-climate change relationships, urban structure and travel patterns, and discourse analysis in transport planning. His work examines how transport systems interact with urban form, social equity, and environmental sustainability, with particular attention to decision-support tools for transport planning. Recent research emphasizes discursive practices in transport policy, low traffic neighborhoods, and the political economy of urban mobility.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward discourse analysis in transport policy, with increasing attention to political dimensions of transport planning, equity considerations, and climate change mitigation strategies. His work spans multiple geographical contexts including the UK, Europe, China, and the Philippines, demonstrating both theoretical depth and practical application across diverse urban environments.

Hickman has directed significant research projects including Sustainable Integrated Tram-Based Transport Operations for European Regions (SINTROPHER), Improving Multi-Modal Interchange Hubs in China (ADB), and various backcasting studies for CO2 emission reduction in transport. He has developed decision-support tools such as ParticipatoryMCA, TC-SIM, and INTRA-SIM for transport and carbon simulation.

His teaching portfolio includes directing the MSc Transport & City Planning program and teaching courses on Transport Planning and the City, Sustainability and Major Infrastructure Projects, and Sustainable Urban Development: Key Themes. He has supervised numerous dissertation projects and led group projects in locations including Detroit, Stockholm, and Thamesmead.