The University of Sheffield
Department of Geography

Dr Margo Huxley

Visiting Fellow

Margo Bryant

Room number: C02
Email: M.Huxley@Sheffield.ac.uk

I have a BA in English and History with Zoology from the Australian National University, a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Melbourne and a PhD in Geography from the Open University, UK.

I’ve lectured and researched in the fields of urban studies, urban planning, public policy and urban geography at the Universities of Melbourne, New England (NSW), RMIT, Sheffield and Queen Mary University of London. As well as these academic endeavours, I’ve worked as a freelance journalist, a planning consultant and in local and metropolitan government Planning Departments in Australia.

I am currently a Visiting Fellow in Geography at Sheffield.

Research Interests
  • Critical historical studies of urban reform and spatial regulation in 19th and early 20th century England and Australia;
  • Postcolonial perspectives on urban management in UK, USA, Australia, and latterly, South Africa;
  • Critical and comparative analyses of planning, participation, and urban policies.

Current research

My current research follows two paths: one is comparative study of urban issues and policies relating to urban informality and urban shrinkage in the global North and South; the other is an ongoing investigation into19th century debates about the reform of urban populations and the relative benefits of settler colonialism in comparison with managed ‘back-to-the-land’ domestic settlements or ‘Home Colonies’.

Teaching

I am not currently actively engaged in teaching, but in previous positions I have taught:

  • Urban studies; urban geography
  • Urban planning history; planning theory
  • Urban and social policy analysis;
  • Gender, power and the built environment
  • Essay and dissertation writing skills

and have supervised Masters Dissertations and PhDs

Key Publications
  • Huxley, M. (2013, forthcoming). Historizing planning, problematizing participation. In: Moor, S. and Harris, A. (eds) Symposium on Planning Histories and Practices of Circulating Urban Knowledge. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.
  • Booth, P. and Huxley, M. (2012). 1909 and all that: reflections on the Housing, Town Planning, Etc. Act 1909. Planning Perspectives, 27(2), 267-283.
  • Huxley, M. (2011). A history of the ‘Nudge’. In: Pykett, J. Jones, R. and Whitehead, M. (eds) Intervention Section on “The Political Geography of ‘Libertarian Paternalism’”. Political Geography, 30(7), 301-310.
  • Lombard, M. and Huxley, M. (2011). Self-made Cities: ordinary informality? In: Porter, L (ed.) Interface Section on ‘Informality, the Commons and Paradoxes for Planning: concepts and debates for informality and planning’. Planning Theory and Practice, 12(1), 120-125.
  • Huxley, M. (2008). Space and government: governmentality and geography. Geography Compass, 2/5, 163-168.
  • Huxley, M. (2006). Spatial Rationalities: order, environment, evolution and government, Social and Cultural Geography, 7(5), 771-787.
  • Huxley, M. (2008). Planning, space and government. In: Cox. K. Robinson, J. and Low, M. (eds) The Sage Handbook of Political Geography. Sage, London. 123-140.
  • Huxley, M. (2007). Geographies of governmentality. In: Crampton, J. and Elden, S. (eds) Space, Knowledge, Power: Foucault and Geography. Ashgate, London. 185-204.

Other information

Editorial Boards:
Urban Policy and Research
International Planning Studies
CRIOS (Critica Degli Ordinamenti Spaziali)

Other Activities:
I am involved in community activities and charity organisations, especially the Portland Works Little Sheffield Community Benefit Society; and Sheffield Jazz.