Associate Professor Peter Walters
Associate Professor

Peter Walters

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52759

Background

I am an urban sociologist and an expert in urban community in all its forms. My research encompasses the outer suburbs in Australia, the gentrifying inner city and informal communities in cities in the Global South. My work focuses on how different urban places and spatial logic in the city impact our opportunities to form attachments to neighbourhoods and each other.

Internationally, I have written extensively on urban poverty in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia and I am currently involved in work on climate change and its effects on the urban poor in collaboration with colleagues in Indonesia, Brazil and Solomon Islands. My latest research concerns the impact of climate change and natural disasters on the urban poor. More than 1 billion people live in informal urban settlements or slums. These people are among the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. However, adaptation and mitigation policies are being formulated at multiple scales, often without considering the voices of the poor.

I am the Bachelor of Arts Sociology program convenor and an award-winning teacher. I teach courses at all levels in our undergraduate sociology program, including Introduction to Sociology (SOCY1050), An Urban World (SOCY2340) and Advanced Studies in Social Thought: Getting the Big Picture (SOCY3345).

I am also an award-winning photographer (you can see some of my work on my Flickr page.

I am open to proposals from potential Honours and PhD students who share my passion for understanding the social life of cities. Whether you're from Australia, the Global South, or anywhere else in the world, I look forward to the possibility of working together.

Availability

Associate Professor Peter Walters is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Built Environment and Design Human Society Human geography Pacific Peoples society and community Social theory Sociology Urban and regional planning Urban design Urban sociology and community studies

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Inner city change

    The social and cultural impacst of inner city change including gentrification, displacement and urban consolidation

  • Suburban life

    The sociology of suburban life, particularly in Australia.

  • Sociology of mega-cities

    Developing world megacities are the 21st century engines for global population growth. They are of vital interest both sociologically and economically.

Research impacts

As a publicly recognised critical academic voice on urban and suburban issues, I have been given the opportunity to regularly promote and discuss my work on various national and international platforms. I make regular appearances in the national media. In the last two years I have been interviewed by ABC Radio National, ABC Melbourne and Brisbane, and Channel 7 News.on topics such as suburban life, inner-city urban culture, and urban ethnic and cultural diversity. I am a regular contributor to the Conversation (over 100,000 readers and counting).

I have participated in and led research teams in Australia, investigating inner-urban gentrification and change; outer suburban community and relationships with the market; the impacts of disaster on community and urban social dynamics; and the spatial and biographical and spatial stories of the homeless in Brisbane for a major charity.

Internationally, I have led a research team in Bangladesh, in collaboration with a local university to investigate the urban poor and their access to urban services and a sense of citizenship in slum communities.

In the Solomon Islands, I am part of a research team that for the last decade has been investigating the intersection of traditional cultural practices, Western science and environmental imperatives. A recent addition to this research effort has been the opportunity, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to involve undergraduates from UQ in practical fieldwork to advance understanding and cooperation between Australia and Solomon Islands.

I am involved in a publishing collaboration with scholars from France, Canada, and South Africa on the global politics of urban sprawl. I am also part of a further collaboration with Swedish scholars investigating gentrification and the right to the geomedia city.

Search Professor Peter Walters’s works on UQ eSpace

66 works between 2005 and 2024
All (66) Journal Article (37) Book Chapter (4) Conference Publication (13) Other Outputs (12)

41 - 60 of 66 works

2015

Other Outputs

Without affordable housing, we won’t have a society worth living in

Walters, Peter (2015, 05 15). Without affordable housing, we won’t have a society worth living in The Conversation

Without affordable housing, we won’t have a society worth living in

2015

Conference Publication

An ideal city? Governing ‘communitas’ in the face of an urban disaster

Walters, Peter (2015). An ideal city? Governing ‘communitas’ in the face of an urban disaster. The Annual Conference of the Australian Sociological Association, Cairns, QLD, Australia, 23 - 26 November 2015. Cairns, QLD, Australia: The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).

An ideal city? Governing ‘communitas’ in the face of an urban disaster

2014

Other Outputs

The many faces of poverty: A month in the life of the Wesley Mission Brisbanes's Emergency Relief Serviece: A report for Wesley Mission Brisbane

Walters, Peter, Cheshire, Lynda, Johnson, Laurel and Roitman, Sonia (2014). The many faces of poverty: A month in the life of the Wesley Mission Brisbanes's Emergency Relief Serviece: A report for Wesley Mission Brisbane. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland Housing and Urban Studies Research Network (UQ HAUS).

The many faces of poverty: A month in the life of the Wesley Mission Brisbanes's Emergency Relief Serviece: A report for Wesley Mission Brisbane

2014

Journal Article

Young people's lived experience of the 'street' in North Lakes master planned estate

Shearer, Scott and Walters, Peter (2014). Young people's lived experience of the 'street' in North Lakes master planned estate. Children's Geographies, 13 (5), 604-617. doi: 10.1080/14733285.2014.939835

Young people's lived experience of the 'street' in North Lakes master planned estate

2014

Journal Article

Early gentrification and the public realm: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia

Walters, Peter and McCrea, Rod (2014). Early gentrification and the public realm: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia. Urban Studies, 51 (2), 355-370. doi: 10.1177/0042098013489748

Early gentrification and the public realm: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia

2014

Conference Publication

Housing affordability and urban community

Walters, Peter (2014). Housing affordability and urban community. The Rise of the Renter Nation: The Australian Chapter, Brisbane, Australia, 24 October 2014.

Housing affordability and urban community

Featured

2014

Conference Publication

Access to knowledge as prelude to a right to the city for the urban poor in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Walters, Peter, Khan, M. Adil and Ashan, M. Kamrul (2014). Access to knowledge as prelude to a right to the city for the urban poor in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. UPE11: 11th Symposium of International Urban Planning and Environment Association - IUPEA; 1st IUPEA Symposium in Latin America, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 16-19 September, 2014. La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación.

Access to knowledge as prelude to a right to the city for the urban poor in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

2013

Other Outputs

Improving silvicultural and economic outcomes for community timber plantations in Solomon Islands by interplanting with Flueggea flexuosa and other Pacific agroforestry species

Blumfield, Tim, Bacon, Gary, Lyons, Kristen, Walters, Peter and Tutua, Shane (2013). Improving silvicultural and economic outcomes for community timber plantations in Solomon Islands by interplanting with Flueggea flexuosa and other Pacific agroforestry species. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Improving silvicultural and economic outcomes for community timber plantations in Solomon Islands by interplanting with Flueggea flexuosa and other Pacific agroforestry species

2013

Other Outputs

Identifying and evaluating factors influencing community resilience in a crisis

Antrobus, Emma, Cheshire, Lynda, Connor, Meredith, George, Nicole, Madsen, Wendy, Ramirez, Suzanna, Shevellar, Lynda, Walters, Peter, Westoby, Peter and Wickes, Rebecca (2013). Identifying and evaluating factors influencing community resilience in a crisis.

Identifying and evaluating factors influencing community resilience in a crisis

2013

Book Chapter

The city, the cafe and the public realm in Australia

Walters, Peter and Broom, Alex (2013). The city, the cafe and the public realm in Australia. Cafe Society. (pp. 185-205) edited by Aksel Tjora and Graham Scambler. New York, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/9781137275936_11

The city, the cafe and the public realm in Australia

2013

Conference Publication

Disaster, resilience and the city: a social comparison between Dhaka, Bangladesh and Brisbane, Australia

Walters, Peter (2013). Disaster, resilience and the city: a social comparison between Dhaka, Bangladesh and Brisbane, Australia. RC21 Conference 2013: Resourceful cities, Berlin, Germany, 29-31 August, 2013. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Research Committee 21 (RC21).

Disaster, resilience and the city: a social comparison between Dhaka, Bangladesh and Brisbane, Australia

2012

Other Outputs

Agro-forestry and its Social Impacts Social Science Research Final Report - 2012

Lyons, Kristen, Walters, Peter, Riddell, Erin, Burch, David and Boer, Henry (2012). Agro-forestry and its Social Impacts Social Science Research Final Report - 2012. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.

Agro-forestry and its Social Impacts Social Science Research Final Report - 2012

2012

Journal Article

A limit to reflexivity: the challenge for working women of negotiating sharing of household labor

Walters, Peter and Whitehouse, Gilllian (2012). A limit to reflexivity: the challenge for working women of negotiating sharing of household labor. Journal of Family Issues, 33 (8), 1117-1139. doi: 10.1177/0192513X11431566

A limit to reflexivity: the challenge for working women of negotiating sharing of household labor

2012

Journal Article

Impacts of urban consolidation on urban liveability: comparing an inner and outer suburb in Brisbane, Australia

McCrea, Rod and Walters, Peter (2012). Impacts of urban consolidation on urban liveability: comparing an inner and outer suburb in Brisbane, Australia. Housing, Theory and Society, 29 (2), 196-206. doi: 10.1080/14036096.2011.641261

Impacts of urban consolidation on urban liveability: comparing an inner and outer suburb in Brisbane, Australia

2011

Conference Publication

Maintenance of the public realm in the face of rapid inner city densification: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia

Walters, Peter and McCrea, Rod (2011). Maintenance of the public realm in the face of rapid inner city densification: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia. Annual RC21 Conference 2011, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7-9 July 2011. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Research Committee 21 (RC21).

Maintenance of the public realm in the face of rapid inner city densification: a case study of West End in Brisbane, Australia

2010

Journal Article

Privatisation, security and community: How master planned estates are changing suburban Australia

Cheshire, L., Walters, P. and Wickes, R. (2010). Privatisation, security and community: How master planned estates are changing suburban Australia. Urban Policy and Research, 28 (4), 359-373. doi: 10.1080/08111146.2010.532474

Privatisation, security and community: How master planned estates are changing suburban Australia

2010

Journal Article

The politics of housing consumption: Renters as flawed consumers on a master planned estate

Cheshire, Lynda, Walters, Peter and Rosenblatt, Ted (2010). The politics of housing consumption: Renters as flawed consumers on a master planned estate. Urban Studies, 47 (12), 2597-2614. doi: 10.1177/0042098009359028

The politics of housing consumption: Renters as flawed consumers on a master planned estate

2009

Journal Article

The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate

Cheshire, Lynda Anne, Rosenblatt, Ted, Lawrence, Geoffrey and Walters, Peter (2009). The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate. Housing Studies, 24 (5), 653-667. doi: 10.1080/02673030903082302

The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate

2009

Journal Article

Qualitative archiving: Engaging with epistemological misgivings

Walters, Peter (2009). Qualitative archiving: Engaging with epistemological misgivings. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 44 (3), 309-320. doi: 10.1002/j.1839-4655.2009.tb00148.x

Qualitative archiving: Engaging with epistemological misgivings

2009

Journal Article

Growing old in a new estate: Establishing new social networks in retirement

Walters, Peter and Bartlett, Helen (2009). Growing old in a new estate: Establishing new social networks in retirement. Ageing and Society, 29 (2), 217-236. doi: 10.1017/S0144686X08007812

Growing old in a new estate: Establishing new social networks in retirement

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Centring Community-based planning and participation alongside low carbon transition: a global south-north comparative study
    UQ-FAPESP Strategic Research Fund SPRINT
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Developing a database of innovative assessment techniques to promote student engagement and deter academic misconduct
    UQ Teaching Innovation Grants
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Enhancing Economic Opportunities offered by Community and Smallholder Forestry in Solomon Islands (ACIAR Project Administered by Griffith University)
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Urban Poverty: A Month in the Life of Wesley Mission Brisbane's Emergency Relief
    Wesley Mission Brisbane
    Open grant
  • 2013
    An evaluation of access to knowledge by the urban poor in the context of a citizen's charter in Rajshahi, Bangladesh
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2012
    A social science e-research hub for data management, analysis and dissemination in material and visual culture
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Identifying and Evaluating Factors Influencing Community Resilience in a Crisis
    Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    What makes a community resilient? Examining changes in the adaptive capacities of Brisbane suburbs before and after the 2011 flood
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Peter Walters is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Green spaces for healthy ageing: An international comparative study

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Renee Zahnow

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Moving the Indonesian Capital City: An opportunity for conflict or inclusion?

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Sonia Roitman

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Impacts of Climate Change on Women Households in Indonesian Coastal Urban Communities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Sonia Roitman

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Assessing Impacts and unpacking challenges of Slum Upgrading Practices on Social Mobility: revisiting upgraded settlements in Mumbai and Cape Town

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Adil Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    EVALUATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES ON THE INDONESIAN NATIONAL ARMED FORCES (TNI) ENGAGEMENT THROUGH ASSISTANCE TASKS TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Adil Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Civil society participation and reflexive governance in Australia's food system

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Kiah Smith

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Pacific Seasonal Workers Health and Health Care Access in Australia: An Ethnographic Study of Seasonal Workers in Regional Queensland

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jenny Munro

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Australian Civic Food Networks in Food Systems Governance: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Kiah Smith

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Australian Civic Food Networks in Food Systems Governance: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Kiah Smith

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Pacific Seasonal Workers Health and Health Care Access in Australia: An Ethnographic Study of Seasonal Workers in Regional Queensland

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jenny Munro

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Peter Walters directly for media enquiries about:

  • Brisbane urban community
  • Megacities
  • Sociology - urban
  • suburban life
  • suburbs
  • Urban sociology

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