Dr Donald Houston

Contact:
d.s.houston@dundee.ac.uk
Tel:+44 (0)1382 384643
Fax:+44 (0)1382 388588
Postal Address:
Geography
School of the Environment
University of Dundee
Perth Rd
Dundee
DD1 4HN

Research

Research Interests

The theme underlying my research is the social welfare implications of urban and regional change in Britain, particularly in relation to the labour market. Specific research projects have investigated the roles of migration, commuting, housing and social policy in producing and reinforcing social disadvantage in different spatial contexts. Unpacking public policy discourses and assessing the social impacts of various policies form important elements of my work.

I utilise a range of research methods, although I have particular knowledge and expertise in UK secondary data sources and quantitative analysis, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Recent Research Grants

Year	Amount/Description
2006-08	'Geography and Gender: Understanding the Rising Number of Women on Incapacity Benefit' (with C.Beatty and S.Fothergill). £189,433 from ESRC
2005-06	'The Social Impacts of Flooding and Flood Risk in Scotland' (with A.Black and A. Werritty). £68,849 from the Scottish Executive
2005	'Scottish migration to and from SE England'. (with A. Findlay, R. Harrison and C. Mason). £55,000 from the Economic and Social Research Council
2004	'A review of the Single Room Rent regulation among Housing Benefit recipients'. (with J. Harvey, G. Fimister and D. Sands). £166,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions
2003	'The housing needs and aspirations of black and minority ethnic communities in Angus and Dundee'. £22,000 from Communities Scotland
2003	'An Investigation of migration patterns in relation to the Scottish economy'. (with A. Findlay, R. Harrison and C. Mason). £9,900 from Scottish Enterprise
2003	'The attraction and retention of high skilled talent in Scotland'. (with A. Findlay, R. Harrison and C. Mason). £9,500 from Scottish Enterprise
2002	'Assessing the impact of planning, housing, transport and regeneration policies on land pricing'. (with D. Adams, P. Allmendinger, N. Dunse, S. Tiesdell, J. Townend,I. Turok and M. White). £40,000 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
2001	'Research into the private rented sector in Scotland'. £33,000 from the Scottish Executive
2001	'A review of the private rented sector in Wales'. (with P. Kemp and G. Pryce). £28,000 from the National Assembly for Wales
2000	'Migration to and from rural areas in England'. (with W. Lever). £58,000 from the Countryside Agency

Background

Academic Background

Year	Degree/University
1996-99	Ph.D. Economic Geography/ Town & Country Planning, University of Glasgow
1994-95	M.Sc. Transportation Planning & Policy, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
1989-93	M.A. Geography, University of Aberdeen

Appointments

Year	Title/University
2002 -	Lecturer, Geography, University of Dundee
1999-2002	Research Fellow, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow
1995-1996	Transport Analyst, MVA Consultancy, Woking, Surrey

Professional

Professional Memberships

Regional Science Association International, British & Irish Section.
Regional Studies Association.
Royal Geographical Society/ Institute of British Geographers (affiliate of the Economic Geography Research Group and the Transport Geography Research Group).

Professional Roles

Research Committee, Royal Scottish Geographical Society

Selected Recent Publications

Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Houston, D., Powell, R. and Sissons, P. (in press) A Gendered Theory of Employment, Unemployment and Sickness. Environment and Planning C.

Findlay, A.M., Harrison, R., Houston, D.S., Mason, C. and McCollum, D. (in press) Escalators, Elevators and Travelators: Scots' occupational mobility in SE England. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Docherty, I., Houston, D. and Giuliano, G. (2008) Connected Cities. In Knowles, R., Shaw, J. and Docherty, I. (Eds) Transport Geographies: mobilities, flows and spaces. Blackwell, Oxford.

Houston, D.S., Findlay, A.M., Harrison, R. and Mason, C. (2008) Can Attracting the Creative Class Boost Economic Growth in Old Industrial Regions? Geografiska Annaler A, 90(2), p.133-149.

Findlay, A.M., Harrison, R., Houston, D.S., Mason, C. and McCollum, D. (2008) Getting off the escalator? A study of Scots out-migration from a global city-region. Environment and Planning A A, 40(9), p.2169-2185.

Findlay, A.M. and Houston, D.S. (2005) Migration, Economy and Environment: A Review of Contemporary Drivers of Migration to Scotland. Prace Geograficzne, 202, 125-144.

Houston, D.S. (2005) Methods to Test the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis. Economic Geography, 81(4), 407-434.

Houston, D.S. (2005) Employability, Skills Mismatch and Spatial Mismatch in Metropolitan Labour Markets. Urban Studies,42(2), 221-243.

Houston, D.S. (2003) The role of migration in the decline of services in rural England. European Research in Regional Science, vol.12, 41-58.

Houston, D.S. (2001) Testing the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis in the United Kingdom Using Evidence from Firm Relocations, European Research in Regional Science, vol. 11, 134-151. Pion, London.