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Professor
Head of SchoolEtienne Nel image
Chief Course Adviser and Senior Arts Adviser

BA(Hons)(Rhodes)
MA(Witw)
PhD(Rhodes)

Richardson Building, room 4C8
Office Hours: See Reception (Rm 4C9) to make an appointment.
Tel +64 3 479 8548
Email etienne.nel@otago.ac.nz

Inaugural Professorial Lecture

Etienne's Inaugural Professorial Lecture "Dealing With Difference: Responses to uneven geographical development" is available as an audio and video file.

IPL Video Podcast (mp4)

PL Audio Podcast (mp3)

Teaching

  • GEOG 214 Economic Geography of the Post-World War II Era
  • GEOG 374 Economic Geography of the Post-World War II Era
  • GEOG 457 Advanced Urban Geography

Etienne also contributes to:

Research interests

Etienne's research interests are as follows:

  • Local Economic Development
  • Urban Entrepreneurialism/Urban Economic Developments
  • Community Economic Development
  • Small Towns
  • Economic Policy
  • Marginality
  • Regional Development
  • Local Government

Current research

Etienne is currently undertaking research in the economic and urban history and development in South Africa, local development and urban agriculture in Zambia and regional, local and small town development in New Zealand. He is currently leading a National Sciences Challenge investigation of rural and small town New Zealand.

View previous research projects

Postgraduate student supervision

Students (current)

  • Fleener, R. Governance in South Africa
  • Uko, E. Urban Farming in Nigeria
  • Floyd, A. Place based development – New Zealand
  • Forsyth, C. Perceptions of crime - New Zealand
  • Basubas, D. Working for water - South Africa
  • Wither, D. Resilience in New Zealand
  • Soal, E. Water Management - New Zealand
  • Quashie-Harry, R. Childhood poverty - Caribbean

PhD - students (completed)

  • Bateman, J. Rural Development - Sierra Leone
  • Latai, A. Climate Change - Samoa
  • Ross, J. Rural Nursing - New Zealand
  • Smart, J. Urban Agriculture - Zambia
  • Gibb, M. Local Economic Development in South Africa
  • Ironside, J. Land reform - Cambodia
  • Motteux, N. Participatory Rural Appraisal
  • Thornton, A. Urban Agriculture
  • Vista, B. Land reform - Philippines
  • Tamimi, M. Environmental Education - Palestine
  • Farminer, A. River appreciation - New Zealand

MA/MBA/MPlan/MSoc – Students current and completed

  • Bergen, S. Evolutionary Economic Geography – New Zealand
  • Stirling, S. Christchurch Rebuild
  • Brown, L. Counter-Urbanisation in Canterbury
  • Anderson, C. Development of Dunedin
  • Watson, R. Tourism Development in Niue
  • Alebiosu, O. Integrated Development Planning
  • Buthelezi, S. Response to Economic Change
  • Douma, A. Land reform - Tanzania
  • Gibb, M. Training for Development
  • Goodenough, C. Corporate Social Responsibility/Local Economic Development
  • Goodwin, R. Conservation farming in Zimbabwe
  • Hale, M. Tourism
  • Husband, M. Shrinking Towns - New Zealand
  • Keyse, M. Industrial Development - New Zealand
  • Lefusto, D. Urban Transport
  • Liddle, E. Groundwater - Zambia
  • Maka, E. Regeneration - New Zealand
  • Meyer, S. Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Mkize, N. Urban Agriculture and Entomology
  • Pio, E. Small Town Development
  • Taine, K. Tourism - Samoa
  • Trotter, D. Nature-based Tourism.
  • Anderson, C. Economic Development - New Zealand
  • Baird, S. Local Development - Tauranga
  • Fitchett, R. Urban Agriculture - Lusaka
  • Gilroy, J. Small Town Development
  • McNaughton, C. Small Town Development
  • Price, S. Regional Development - New Zealand
  • Stevenson, T. Strategic Planning - New Zealand
  • White, R. Small Town Development
  • Williams, R. Cycling Policy - New Zealand
  • Topp, F. Sustainability on Campuses

Publications

Alam, A., Nel, E., Hill, D., & Bulloch, H. (2023). Settling in New Zealand’s small towns: Experiences of minority ethnic immigrants. Journal of International Migration & Integration. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12134-023-01044-6
Journal - Research Article
Wither, D., Orchiston, C., & Nel, E. (2023). Using the Living Standards Framework to analyse the drivers of social resilience in a disaster management context. Policy Quarterly, 19(1), 58-66. doi: 10.26686/pq.v19i1.8106
Journal - Research Article
Alam, A., & Nel, E. (2023). Migration, emerging multiculturalism and planning in rural and small town Aotearoa New Zealand [Viewpoint]. Australian Planner. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2023.2169724
Journal - Research Other
Nel, E., Marais, L., & Mqotyana, Z. (2023). The regional implications of just transition in the world's most coal-dependent economy: The case of Mpumalanga, South Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 4, 1059312. doi: 10.3389/frsc.2022.1059312
Journal - Research Article
Uko, E., Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2023). ‘I lost my job suddenly, but I was prepared’: The significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Benin City, Nigeria. Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, 47(1), 25-46. doi: 10.1080/21683565.2022.2124474
Journal - Research Article
Potter, R., Binns, T., Elliott, J. A., Nel, E., & Smith, D. W. (2018). Geographies of development: An introduction to development studies (4th ed.). Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 636p.
Authored Book - Research
Binns, T., Dixon, A., & Nel, E. (2012). Africa: Diversity and development. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 414p.
Authored Book - Research
Lester, A., Nel, E., & Binns, T. (2000). South Africa, past, present and future: Gold at the end of the rainbow? Harlow, England: Pearson Education, 374p.
Authored Book - Research
Fuerst-Bjeliš, B., Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (Eds.). (2022). COVID-19 and marginalisation of people and places: Impacts, responses and observed effects of COVID-19 on geographical marginality. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 231p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-11139-6
Edited Book - Research
Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (Eds.). (2020). Responses to geographical marginality and marginalization: From social innovation to regional development. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 183p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51342-9
Edited Book - Research
Binns, T., Lynch, K., & Nel, E. (Eds.). (2018). The Routledge handbook of African development. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 700p.
Edited Book - Research
Marais, L., Nel, E., & Donaldson, R. (Eds.). (2016). Secondary cities and development. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 188p.
Edited Book - Research
Shackleton, C. M., Shackleton, S. E., Gambiza, J., Nel, E., Rowntree, K., Urquhart, P., … Ainslie, A. (Eds.). (2010). Livelihoods and vulnerability in the arid and semi-arid lands of Southern Africa: Exploring the links between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation. New York: Nova Science, 267p.
Edited Book - Research
Valenca, M. M., Nel, E., & Leimgruber, W. (Eds.). (2008). The global challenge and marginalization. New York: Nova Science, 462p.
Edited Book - Research
Connelly, S., & Nel, E. (2022). New localism: New regionalism. In R. Brears (Ed.), Palgrave encyclopedia of urban and regional futures. (Online ed.) Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_164-1
Chapter in Book - Research
Fuerst-Bjeliš, B., Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (2022). COVID-19s economic and social impact globally. In B. Fuerst-Bjeliš, E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), COVID-19 and marginalisation of people and places: Impacts, responses and observed effects of COVID-19 on geographical marginality. (pp. 9-26). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-11139-6_2
Chapter in Book - Research
Fuerst-Bjeliš, B., Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (2022). Introduction. In B. Fuerst-Bjeliš, E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), COVID-19 and marginalisation of people and places: Impacts, responses and observed effects of COVID-19 on geographical marginality. (pp. 1-6). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-11139-6_1
Chapter in Book - Research
Fuerst-Bjeliš, B., Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (2022). Some conclusions about COVID-19s impact on marginality and marginalisation. In B. Fuerst-Bjeliš, E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), COVID-19 and marginalisation of people and places: Impacts, responses and observed effects of COVID-19 on geographical marginality. (pp. 233-238). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-11139-6_16
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E. (2022). Development in the global north. In K. Sims, N. Banks, S. Engel, P. Hodge, J. Makuwira, N. Nakamura, … P. Yeophantong (Eds.), Routledge handbook of global development. (pp. 47-58). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/ 9781003017653
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E. (2022). Exacerbating marginalisation: COVID-19's impact on peripheral, tourism-dependent regions in New Zealand and local responses. In B. Fuerst-Bjeliš, E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), COVID-19 and marginalisation of people and places: Impacts, responses and observed effects of COVID-19 on geographical marginality. (pp. 131-142). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-11139-6_10
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., & Stevenson, T. (2022). The role of farmers in small-town community development in an age of austerity: Reflections from Australasia. In J. Bański (Ed.), Routledge handbook of small towns. (pp. 283-295). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003094203
Chapter in Book - Research
Seethal, C., Nel, E., & Bwalya, J. (2021). From East London to Buffalo City Metropole: Developmental challenges of a South African metro. In A. Lemon, R. Donaldson & G. Visser (Eds.), South African urban change three decades after apartheid: Homes still apart? (pp. 103-116). Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-73073-4_6
Chapter in Book - Research
Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2020). Reconceptualizing urban agriculture in Africa: Issues of scale, class and institutional support in Zambian copperbelt towns. In A. Thornton (Ed.), Urban food democracy and governance in North and South. (pp. 213-229). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-17187-2_13
Chapter in Book - Research
Donaldson, R., Marais, L., & Nel, E. (2020). Secondary cities in South Africa. In R. Massey & A. Gunter (Eds.), Urban geography in South Africa: Perspectives and theory. (pp. 121-137). Cham, Swizterland: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-25369-1_8
Chapter in Book - Research
Pelc, S., & Nel, E. (2020). Social innovation and geographical marginality. In E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), Responses to geographical marginality and marginalization: From social innovation to regional development. (pp. 11-21). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51342-9_2
Chapter in Book - Research
Stevenson, T., & Nel, E. (2020). Responding to marginalization: A case study of small towns in Western Australia. In E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), Responses to geographical marginality and marginalization: From social innovation to regional development. (pp. 103-120). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51342-9_7
Chapter in Book - Research
Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2018). African development: 'Hopeless Africa', 'Africa rising', or somewhere in between? In T. Binns, K. Lynch & E. Nel (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of African development. (pp. 273-285). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Binns, T., Nel, E., & Lynch, K. (2018). Conclusion: Looking forward. In T. Binns, K. Lynch & E. Nel (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of African development. (pp. 665-669). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Binns, T., Nel, E., & Lynch, K. (2018). Introduction. In T. Binns, K. Lynch & E. Nel (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of African development. (pp. 3-9). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., & Connelly, S. (2018). Rural health service delivery challenges in an era of neoliberalism in New Zealand. In G. Halseth, S. Markey & L. Ryser (Eds.), Service provision and rural sustainability: Infrastructure and innovation. (pp. 65-79). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
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