Thomas Gillespie

Dr. Thomas Gillespie is a Lecturer in Global Urban Development at the University of Manchester's Global Development Institute. His research focuses on urbanization in the global South, particularly in Africa, examining processes of urban inequality, dispossession, and real estate dynamics. He has held prior roles as a Hallsworth Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Manchester and a Teaching Associate at the University of Sheffield.

Research Interests:

• Urban capitalism, poverty, and inequalities
• Urban housing, land, and real estate
• Social movements and comparative urbanism
• Global urban political economy

Recent Work: Gillespie's research explores socio-spatial outcomes of urban commodification and how populations contest these processes. His funded projects include a study on transnational gentrification in Accra. Key publications address real estate frontiers, urban dispossession, and African urban geographies.

Affiliations: He contributes to the Manchester Urban Institute and Global Development Institute, fostering interdisciplinary urban research.