School welcomes smart city advocate to its community

Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning has appointed Peter Madden OBE, a smart cities, innovation and sustainability champion as Professor of Practice in City Futures.

Professor Madden completed his undergraduate studies at Oxford University, before undertaking a postgraduate degree at UCL. A former CEO of Future Cities Catapult - a centre of expertise on urban innovation, CEO of Forum for the Future, Head of Policy at the Environment Agency, Ministerial Advisor to the UK Government, and Director of Green Alliance, he currently holds a number of non-Exec roles with a range of organisations. He sits on the Board of the Crown Estate, is Chair of Building with Nature, a member of Ingersoll Rand's Sustainability Advisory Council, and Founder Director of Ecovivid.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Madden said: "I am excited to be working with a great university in a great city. I will bring my practical experience, my international networks and my understanding of what stakeholders want from academia, to equip students for the world of work and to position Cardiff’s School of Geography and Planning at the forefront of research on city futures.

“I'll be helping to engage with business and cities, to stimulate collaborative work and maximise research impact."

Professor Paul Milbourne, Head of the School of Geography and Planning, added: “Peter is a globally recognised expert on sustainability, innovation and smart cities. His academic, professional and policy background will inform his new role as Professor of Practice in City Futures – helping to promote the practical application of scholarship for the benefit of industry, government and society.”

Professor Madden was awarded an OBE for services to environmental protection and sustainable development in 2014. He presents and lectures around the world on urban innovation and writes a regular article for The Huffington Post on smart cities. He will take up his new role at Cardiff University on Monday 16 July 2018.