David Kenneth Whitney, BA Hons, M Phil, MRTPI.

22 Sept 1945 - 20 May 2025

We record with much sadness the death of David Whitney, a well-known, and long-time member of the RTPI Yorkshire Branch. David became a student member of the RTPI on 1st July 1967 and was an RTPI member for 58 years.

He joined the RTPI Yorkshire Branch Committee in May 1979 and served as its Honorary Secretary from 1980 to 1982. Thereafter he served continuously on the Branch (later Regional) Committee until 2007, holding the positions of Vice Chair in 1997, Chair in 1998 and Immediate Past Chair in 1999. From 2002 until 2007 he was the RTPI Yorkshire Region's Mentoring Co-ordinator, and in 2006 and 2007 he was the Deputy Regional representative on the General Assembly.

David was born in Bristol in September 1945, the only child of Marion and Kenneth Whitney. He attended Cotham Grammar School where he enjoyed sport and was taught by his lifelong mentor, Bristol based artist and environmentalist Jerry Hicks, who encouraged David to look at Planning as a career. He left school at Christmas 1963 and worked for Bristol Planning Department until going to Newcastle in September 1964 to study Planning. He graduated in 1968 with a 1st Class Hons Degree followed in 1970 by an MPhil in Urban Design.

David's first job after graduating was as a Planning Officer with Liverpool Corporation where Jim Amos, a notable Past President of RTPI, was his boss. He always spoke with great respect of him and affection of his time in Liverpool.

In 1974, with Local Government Reorganisation David moved to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council working with the equally respected Chief Planning Officer, Peter Spawforth.

While with Wakefield MDC he started working part time on the evening course with the then Leeds School of Town Planning at Leeds Polytechnic. He subsequently took up a full time lecturing post there in 1979 under the headship of Richard Mordey.

David went on to hold senior management positions within the Planning and Built Environment area and retired as Head of Planning Housing and Geography in 2007.

While at Leeds Metropolitan David led his group through numerous course and research developments. He was widely published, authoring books and journal articles, and with Graham Haughton's and his leadership, the group made a very creditable and successful contribution to the University's submissions to the four yearly UK Research Assessment Exercises.

Following his retirement, he remained in touch with many long standing colleagues who walked and dined their ways around the Dales, and with the younger staff who carried his work forward.

He returned to his great love of painting, and revealed considerable talents as an artist - especially portraiture.

David had a long illness with Multiple Systems Atrophy and died on 20th May 2025. He will be missed by friends and colleagues.

 He is survived by his mother Marion, wife Alison and their son Peter and daughter Kate and five grandchildren.