He's an icon of urban planning, inspiring generations of urban and regional planning students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to create new ideas and make a difference.
Associate Professor Phil Heywood, from QUT's School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, has mentored 24 award-winning student groups over the past 24 years and was this month recognised at the Planning Institute Australia (PIA) national awards.
Professor Heywood received a commendation in the Cutting Edge Research and Teaching Award category for his book Community Planning: Integrating Social & Physical Environments, which was published last year and had already become a standard text in urban planning.
Professor Doug Baker, Discipline Leader of Urban Planning at QUT, said Professor Heywood was a leading light in urban planning education in Queensland.
"Phil Heywood is a legend in Queensland," Professor Baker said.
"He has been one of the most influential academics in Brisbane over the past 20 years and is very well regarded in the planning fraternity. He is also well known for his engagement with the community."
One of the large feathers in Professor Heywood's cap was the success of his students.
Since the Planning Institute of Australia awards were established in 1988, group projects from Professor Heywood's urban and regional planning practice classes had won the PIA Outstanding Student Achievement Award 15 times in Queensland and nine times nationally, far more than any other Australian planning school.
"I ascribe much of this success to the energy and inspiration gained from collaborating with local communities, governments and practitioners on issues in the real world," Professor Heywood said.
This year's national award-winning group member Jess Binch, who graduated from a QUT Bachelor of Urban Development last year, said Professor Heywood was a very enthusiastic teacher who was willing to listen to ideas and worked in his own time to provide classes with important resources and opportunities.
"Phil encouraged us to push against the norm and discover new ideas," Jess said.
"He's an icon. He was very passionate and wanted the best for us. He went above and beyond to get the resources we needed."
Professor Heywood also taught QUT urban development graduate and tutor Alexander O'Reilly, who received a commendation in the national category of Outstanding Achievement by a Young Planner at this month's PIA awards.
Professor Heywood was named a life fellow by PIA last year and won the Queensland PIA Award for Excellence for international planning in 2003 and for scholarship in 1998.
He won teaching excellence awards in 2008 from QUT and 2004 from the International Year of the Built Environment; and in 1987, was awarded the Brisbane City Council Citizen of Year Award for dedicated community engagement and leadership.
Community Planning: Integrating Social & Physical Environments, published internationally by Wiley in 2011, has already become a standard text in urban planning, and is available at the QUT bookshop and library.
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Media contacts:
- Rachael Wilson, QUT media unit, 07 3138 9449 or media@qut.edu.au (Wed/Thu)
- Rose Trapnell, team leader, QUT media unit, 07 3138 2361 or rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
