Peter Phibbs

Peter Phibbs is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney's School of Architecture, Design and Planning, where he served as Chair of Urban Planning and Policy until resigning in 2021 after a 35-year career teaching urban planning students. He holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales awarded in 1986 and is recognized as a geographer, planner, and social economist with extensive experience in program evaluation, financial analysis, and cost-benefit analysis of housing programs and projects. Phibbs has held prominent positions including Founding Director of the Henry Halloran Trust from 2013 to 2021, Associate Dean (Research) and Associate Dean (Development) in the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney, Head of School and Director of Academic Programs at the Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, and Director of an AHURI housing research centre for three universities. He is also Adjunct Professor with the Department of Architecture at Monash University.

Phibbs' research specializations include housing and planning, with particular emphasis on housing affordability, the impact of short-term rentals such as Airbnb on housing markets, connections between planning systems and housing markets, and affordable housing strategies in Australia. His key publications encompass 'When tourists move in: how should urban planners respond to Airbnb?' with Nicole Gurran (2017), 'A practical framework for expanding affordable housing services in Australia: learning from experience' (2004), 'Are governments really interested in fixing the housing problem? Policy capture and busy work in Australia' with Simon Thompson (2015), 'Innovation in affordable housing in Australia: Bringing policy and practice for not-for-profit organisations together' (2009), and 'Experiencing the housing affordability problem: blocked aspirations, trade-offs and financial hardships' (2007). Amassing over 3,940 citations on Google Scholar, his scholarship has profoundly influenced academic and policy discussions in urban planning. Phibbs contributes to the field through professional development courses for the Planning Institute of Australia, including Property Economics for Planners and Planning for Non-Planners, and remains engaged in debates on housing affordability.

Professional Email: peter.phibbs@sydney.edu.au