His research is chiefly concerned with UK housing policy and, in particular, rural housing and issues relating to the provision of affordable housing through planning policy. This work has been published in a range of academic and professional formats. Past research has looked at housing needs in the north of England (for local authorities and government), the re-use of airfield sites (ESRC), the geography of employment change (TCPA), the relationship between housing providers and planners (RTPI), housing pressure in rural Europe (for the Scottish Executive) and the characteristics of sustainable suburban areas (Civic Trust). Recent work on rural housing has focused on policy towards second homes in Wales (Welsh Assembly Government) and in England (Countryside Agency). He has also completed more recent projects on categorising rural areas in South East England (SEEDA) and on the rural-urban fringe (Countryside Agency).

Books published include: Rural Second Homes in Europe (Ashgate, 2000 with Mark Tewdwr-Jones), Housing in the European Countryside (Spon, 2003 with Mark Shucksmith and Mark Tewdwr-Jones) and Delivering New Homes (Routledge, 2003 with Matthew Carmona and Sarah Carmona), Shrinking to Grow? (Institute of Community Studies, 2004, with Alan Mace, Peter Hall and others), and Second Homes: European Perspectives and UK Policies (Ashgate, 2005, with Alan Mace and Mark Tewdwr-Jones)
Two further books are forthcoming in 2006: Planning on the Edge (Routledge, 2006, with Johan Andersson and Marco Bianconi), and Decent Homes for All (Routledge, 2006, with Mark Tewdwr-Jones)

[ Recent publications linked here ]