Dr Neale Blair is a Senior Lecturer in Planning at Ulster University and is Associate Head, Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment. Neale is an expert in spatial planning policy and practice. Neale is an active member of Ulster’s Built Environment Research Institute (BERI) and Centre for Research on Property and Planning (RPP). 

External connections include chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE), and member of the National Planning Knowledge Group for the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR). Neale is currently Chair of the Planning Schools Forum, which represents RTPI-accredited Planning Schools.

Neale’s research interests include spatial governance and analysis; urban planning pedagogy, planning education in developing countries; visualisation of data to inform stakeholder engagement and decision making; and the use of technology to enhance participation in planning processes.  Neale has fifteen year’s research experience of research in cross-border spatial planning, working with stakeholders in the public, private and community sectors. Neale is currently supervising four doctoral students in Planning at Ulster. Recent publications include topics such as a social-ecological resilience agenda for urban design, and 3D technology for enhancing resilience in the built environment.