Dr Heather Ritchie was appointed as a lecturer in Spatial Planning and Energy Policy in the Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the Ulster University in 2009.  She has considerable experience in marine social science research, action research, and policy appraisal in the emergent fields of coastal and marine spatial planning.  Her background in law gives her the capacity to look at regulation and legislation from a variety of different perspectives. Her experience in lecturing in spatial planning provides her with an understanding of current policy issues and debates and an appreciation of the interrelationships between planning and regeneration. She brings academic experience to projects and has an ability to manage and mediate competing interests and stakeholders.

Heather is a Champion for Athena Swan within BSABE and is the School Policy Lead after her contribution with the Self Assessment Team's achievement in securing the Bronze Award in November 2020. Heather herself is a recipent of the Athena Swan Returning Carers Scheme Award in 2018. This award allowed Heather to be accompanied by her husband and young children to present at an international AESOP conference in 2018 in Gothenburg.  

Heather is a chartered Town Planner with the Irish Planning Institute and sits on the Marine Planning Committee and has been selected to sit on a sub-committee on Marine Planning Education. 

Heather's research specialism is in Marine Spatial Planning and Stakeholder Engagement. She also has research interests in land-sea interactions, planning regulation at the coast and beyond, transboundary marine planning, energy and the environment,  planning education, environmental impact assessment, planning law, planning regulation (developer contributions). Heather has a track record of publishing in the journals of Marine Policy, Ocean and Coastal Management, Land Use Policy, European Planning Studies and Energy Policy.  

Heather is a Research Associate of the International Centre for Regional and Local Development and regularly contributes to funding applications and conference organisation. 

Heather is currently leading (as PI) a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund project, on Knowledge Exchange for Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning across the Irish Sea for DAERA. She is also acting as the leading the Ulster partner for an ERASMUS + Knowledge Flows in Marine Spatial Planning along with partners from Germany, The Netherlands, France, Finland, Denmark and Sweden. Heather was also involved (as PI for Ulster) in an ESPON project with colleagues from UCC, University of Gent, and ICLRD in Marine Spatial Planning supporting the Resilience of European Land Sea Interactions. Heather has recently joined a project team with funding from the British Council to conduct research on Marine Planning with the Technicon Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. 

Heather teaches across all four years of the Integrated Masters (MSci) in Planning, Regeneration and Development. Her teaching specialisms are in Planning Law and Regulation, Environmental Impact and Marine Spatial Planning. 

Heather is Course Director for MSc Planning and City Resilience (maternity cover). This MSc is run in person and DL F/T + P/T.  

Heather has completed her PGCHEP and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Heather is External Examiner for University of Gloucester BSc Urban Planning. Heather has published research in educational journals such as Innovation in Teaching and Education International and Town Planning Review. Heather is co-author of a legal planning textbook 'The Essential Guide to Planning Law: Decision Making and Practice in the UK' and is currently working on a 2nd edition. She has contributed chapters to other legal textbooks. 

Module Coordinator: 1^st year - Planning and Regeneration, 2^nd year -  Spatial Planning and Planning Practice, 3^rd year - Environmental Impact Assessment, Marine Spatial Planning, Research Methods and Investigative Report, 5^th Year Research Design and Professional Report Supervisor. 

Heather is the Placement Coordinator and Year three Academic Mentor for MSci PRD. 

ESPON - Transnational Outreach Programme 2020 International Conference: Resilience in Marine Spatial Planning

Ritchie, H., PI, Architecture Built Environment and Planning (UoA 13)

ESPON: £3,437.00

1/03/20 → 30/06/20

Knowledge Flows in Marine Spatial Planning - Sharing Innovation in Higher Education

Ritchie, H.

C.E.C. Erasmus+: £47,036.00

1/09/19 → 31/12/22

Award date: 21/11/19

Marine Spatial Planning in Northern Ireland: Towards Productive Seas and Resilient Communities?

Ritchie, H. & Mc Elduff, L.

Council of Heads of the Built Environmen: £500.00

27/05/16 → 31/07/16

Award date: 7/06/16

Northern Ireland knowledge exchange for transboundary Marine Spatial Planning across the Irish Sea

Mc Elduff, L. & Ritchie, H.

DAERA European Maritime and Fisheries Fu: £28,304.00

13/10/20 → 31/12/22

Award date: 15/10/20

RING - Researcher International Networking Grant

Ritchie, H.

The British Council: £1,500.00

1/04/11 → 31/03/12

Award date: 14/07/11

Teaching Exchange Scheme

PEEL, D. & Ritchie, H.

Higher Education Academy: £2,000.00

1/04/11 → 31/07/11

Award date: 11/07/11