prof. dr. G. de Roo

Gert de Roo (1963) is full professor in Spatial Planning, Head of Department of the Department of Spatial Planning and Environment at the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, Editor in Chief of InPlanning and Past President of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP). 

De Roo is responsible for various fields of research, all of which are related to decision-making concerning purposful interventions within the physical environment. Most of his research and his publications are focusing on decentralization processes, in particular those concerning physical and environmental planning. Another part of his research focuses on the development of decision-making models that support choices concerning interventions within the physical environment. In his research De Roo takes the stand the world develops non-linear, is dynamic and is to be seen as 'complex'.

De Roo participates in various national and international associations and organizations, all of them having in common the physical environment, quality of life, sustainability and urban development. Gert de Roo is elected President of the Association for European Schools of Planning (AESOP), which is from 2011 until 2015. In Perth, Australia, July 2011 at the 24th AESOP Annual conference he was elected unanimously by the Country Representatives. AESOP has 170 member schools (see www.aesop-planning.eu) and is the leading network organization promoting the academic discipline Spatial Planning. AESOP offers annual conferences, working groups focusing on specific themes, a network for Young Academics, and more. AESOP also issues various prices being considered prestigious in the field of Spatial Planning. AESOP continuously disseminates crucial information about Spatial Planning to its members. For De Roo’s Perth speech click here. 

• Editor in Chief of InPlanning
• President of AESOP (2011-2015)
• Member of RLI-raadscommissie Omgevingsrecht (2011)
• Secretary-General of AESOP (2002-2007).
• Co-chair of the International Urban Planning and Environment Association (UPE-Global) (1994-2002).
• Board member of UPE-Europe (2002-2008).
• Member of the steering committee of the UN-Habitat ‘Best Practices Program’ (2000-2003).
• Vice-chair of the state committee evaluating the Netherlands project on City & Environment (2000-2004).
• Member of various evaluation committees concerning Environmental Impact Assessment.
• Editor of 'New Directions in Planning Theory Series', for Ashgate Publishers, UK (since 2010)
• Editor of 'Urban Planning and Environment Series', for Ashgate Publishers, UK (since 1999).
• Editor in chief of the 'Physical Planning' series ‘Policies for the physical environment’, for Sdu Publishers (2000-2006).
• Member of the editorial staff of 'Spatial Planning Series', for Sdu Uitgevers (since 2008) 
• Member of the editorial staff of ‘Bodem Select’, for Sdu Uitgevers (1998-2002.  

Organized congresses:

• (1993) ‘Sanitizing and Allocating’ (in cooperation with the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment).
• (1994) ‘International Symposium on Urban Planning and Environment’ (in cooperation with the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, and the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment).
• (1995) ‘Environmental Zoning on the Move’ (in cooperation with the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment).
• (1995) ‘Sensitive Areas’ (as member of the Faculty team, in cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Geographical Society and the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment).
• (1997) ‘Second International Symposium on Urban Planning and Environment’ (in cooperation with the European Commission (DG IX), the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment and the University of Washington).
• (1999) ‘Third International Symposium on Urban Planning and Environment’ (in cooperation with the Metropolitan Council of Greater Pretoria, the Netherlands Ministries of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, and Foreign Affairs, Technion University of Pretoria and the University of Pretoria).
• (2001) ‘Fifth Memorandum on Spatial Planning; contours for the North of the Netherlands’ (in cooperation with the Inspectorate on Spatial Planning, Region North, of the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment).
• (2012) Aesop working Group on Complexity & Planning, keynote prof Judith Innes, on Complexity and the collaborative rationale in planning, RU Groningen, 16-19 November 2012

Some relevant research projects:

• Local Environmental Quality, Dutch Ministry of Planning and Environment, about restrictions of processes of decentralisation of environmental policy towards the local level, 2007.

• Plurel – Peri Urban Land Use, constellation of 29 partners, out of which we have the responsibility to focus on urban land relations from the perspective of complex systems; 6th Framework Programme EU, 2006-2010.

• Srex – Energy, Exergy en Spatial aspects at the regional level; financed by SenterNovem, Dutch ministery of Economic Affairs, Overall responsibility, in cooperation with TU Delft and University of Wageningen, 2006-2010.

• Sociale cohesion in neighbourhoods of the city of Arnhem; participating in the ‘Arnhem-vivare’ project which is under the responsibility of the ‘Maatschappelijk Topinstituut’ ISW with two projects – 1. focussing on citizens participation at neighbourhood level; 2. focussing on involvement of the elderly participating at neighbourhood level, 2006-2010.

• Expedition Landscaping Housing and Living at the A7 Zone and Northern Netherlands; Financed by and in cooperationwith Accolade Housing Cooperation Group, 2005-2007.

• Lilac - Living in Leisure-rich Areas and Communities; result of the congress 'Regio pakt de Ruimte', 14th of October 2004, Book project, 2004-2006.

• Grounds for Change, about integrating energy and spatial development at the regional level; in cooperation with numerous parties, amongs others Energy Valley, KNN, TU Delft, provinces Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland, 2005-2006.

• Smart Methods for integrating Environmental Health and Hygiene with Spatial Development; Dutch ministry of Planning and Environmen, 2005-2007.

• Policy Evaluation Management Plan Wadden Sea; research on behalf of Coordination Board Wadden Sea, 2001.

• Policy developments concerning the beauty of the landscape and cultural-historical values of the Wadden Sea area; research on behalf of the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, 2001.
• Consequences of the process of decentralisation of Netherlands environmental policy to the local level; research on behalf of the Directoral General Environmental Management of the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, 2001.
• SUSPLAN, European research on implementing sustainability on a regional planning level, 1999-2001.
• Integrated Physical Planning in the Netherlands; A state of affairs of integrated and area oriented policy-making for the physical environment; research on behalf of the Spatial Planning Agency, Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, 2000.
• PhD research; Spatial/environmental conflicts in the compact city, a theoretical planning exercise to value complexity as a criterion of decision-making in planning, 1995-1999.
• Environment and space in urban areas, Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, 1996.
• Dilemma’s of the compact city; Province of North-Holland, 1995.
• Research to draw up a statement of affairs concerning environmental evaluation methods; University of Groningen, 1995.
• Planning consequences of Integrated Environmental Zoning; Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, 1994-1995.
• Tranquil Area Wadden Sea; on behalf of the provinces North-Holland, Groningen and Friesland, 1993.
• Comparative research Integrated Environmental Zoning; University of Groningen, 1992.