David O'Connor
Head of Environment and Planning
Email: dave.oconnor@tudublin.ie
Tel: 01 220 6635
David is Head of Environment and Planning in the School of Architecture, Building and Environment, TU Dublin.
Under David’s guidance TU Dublin Environment & Planning provides specialised educational paths for advanced, professional career development along with engaged research in sustainable planning and environmental management.
Previously, as Senior Lecturer, David was co-creator, lead author and co-Chairperson responsible for the MSc in Sustainable Transport & Mobility, a multi-disciplinary programme delivered jointly by two Schools and is the first dedicated transport planning postgraduate programme in Ireland. David was also chair of the M.Sc. Spatial Planning, a highly regarded leadership programme, with many graduates holding senior positions within the wider Irish planning community.
In 2015 David was seconded part-time to the TU4D Leadership Team, responsible for the development of a Civic Engagement policy and how the new University can become an engaged organisation with a culture of civic partnership embedded across all organizational levels.
David holds a variety of Committee Member positions in academic, government and industry settings: -
- Member of the Irish Planning Institute, ITS Ireland and the Transport Planning Society
- Committee member of the Irish Transport Research Network (ITRN) and the Dublin City Council Public Transport Committee
- Member of the IPI Technical & Education Committee and the OPR National Planning Knowledge Network
- Member of the TU Dublin Green Campus Committee and Green Week Sub-committee
- Member of the Faculty Health & Safety Committee; IT Committee; Academic Quality Enhancement Committee; Academic Board and the College of Sciences and Health Academic Board
David has thirty years of professional and academic experience in transport and urban planning in Ireland and internationally. This includes project-lead experience on a broad range of innovative transport strategies in both public and private sector sustainable transport planning project environments. David has been involved in many land use and transportation studies, urban design studies and development plans, always with a clear focus on sustainable mobility and transportation. David has carried out extensive research in transport planning, which has been recognised for its impact. Recent interests include walkability, level-of-service, urban greenways and transport governance.
David endeavours to continually be a voice for sustainable planning and development. He has had a range of prominent media appearances, including (inter alia) RTE Prime Time, RTE Today Sean O’Rourke, RTE Brainstorm, RTE The Week in Politics, Newstalk Lunchtime. He has written a column on transport issues for the Dublin Inquirer and presented to formal committee hearings in the Oireachtas.