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2025 winners and finalists

The 2025 Awards for Research Excellence saw two newly renamed Award categories to honour the memories of two influential planning academics who passed away in 2024. The Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research and the Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence celebrate the legacies of these distinguished individuals within the planning research community.

Professor Tony Crook CBE FRTPI was a dedicated member of the RTPI since 1965. Professor Crook was deeply involved with the Institute throughout his career, including serving as a Trustee until his passing in 2024.

Professor Patsy Healey OBE made significant contributions to planning research, and was the third person and first woman to receive the RTPI Gold Medal, awarded since its inception in 1895. She was also the first Senior Editor of Planning Theory & Practice.

Images are available from the awards ceremony at the 2025 UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference hosted by Ulster University and held at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office.

Photo credits: Michael Morrissey, 2025

Our winners

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 RTPI Awards for Research Excellence.

Prof Malcolm Tait (University of Sheffield) and co-authors

The Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence
Prof Matthew Carmona (UCL) and co-authors

The Sir Peter Hall Award for Wider Engagement

Dongsheng He (The University of Hong Kong) and co-authors

The Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research

Giuseppe Bonomo (Oxford Brookes University)

The Student Dissertation Award
Sarah Curnow (Stephenson Halliday)

The Practitioner Research Award

Our finalists in 2025:

The Sir Peter Hall Award for Wider Engagement
Prof Matthew Carmona (UCL) and co-authors

Tacking Inequality in Housing Design Quality
Hannah Hickman (University of the West of England) and co-authors

Strategic planning in England - Current practice and future directions
The Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research
Sarah Crowe (The University of Dundee) and co-authors

Placemaking and Blue Green Infrastructure for Liveable, Resilient Places: Insights from Dundee, Scotland

Quang Cuong Doan (The University of Hong Kong) and co-authors

Nonlinear and threshold effects of the built environment, road vehicles and air pollution on urban vitality
Dongsheng He (The University of Hong Kong) and co-authors

Unravelling heterogeneity and dynamics of commuting efficiency
Dr Tianren Yang (The University of Hong Kong) and co-authors

Unravelling heterogeneity and dynamics of commuting efficiency.
The Student Dissertation Award
Giuseppe Bonomo (Oxford Brookes University)

A Framework for Mobility Hub Networks in the UK. How can a holistic approach to planning and design shape mobility hub networks in the UK?
Lauren Bradwell (University of Birmingham)

Adults with Neurodivergence and Navigating Urban Environments: A Case Study of Milton Keynes
Hannah Galvin (Newcastle University)

The Big Plan Theory: Exploring possibilities for podcasting in planning participation
Adiya Karsybek (UCL)

Women in Planning: A Case Study of Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan
Ben Yates (University of Brighton)

The planning system's role in balancing the demands created by short term and holiday lets
The Practitioner Research Award
Sarah Curnow (Stephenson Halliday)

Review of the implementation of the NPPF para 186 (c) in applications and appeals in or within 15 metres of ancient woodlands or near ancient and veteran trees
Susan Leadbetter (WSP) and Jackie Genova

Cultivating Inclusive and Green Transport: Embracing Gender-Responsive Design to Increase Mobility Choices and Accelerate Decarbonization