Professor
Head of School
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.
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:
- ENVI 111 Environment and Society
- GEOG 102 Human Geography
- GEOG 215 Urban Geography
- GEOG 280 Research Methodologies in Human Geography
- GEOG 380 Field Research Studies (Arts)
- GEOG 384 Urban Geography
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
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
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
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
Ryan, A., Connelly, S., Nel, E., & Mackay, M. (2022). The tensions between community and primary industry: A case study from Cromwell, Aotearoa New Zealand. Proceedings of the New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS) Conference. (pp. 80). Retrieved from https://www.nzgsconference2022.co.nz/
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
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
Bateman, J., Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2017). Flirting with food security: Resilience in the face of conflict, climate change and communicable disease in rural Sierra Leone. In E. T. H. Hope (Ed.), Climate change and food security: Africa and the Caribbean. (pp. 128-142). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Connelly, S., & Nel, E. (2017). New Zealand: Community responses to restructuring. In G. Halseth (Ed.), Transformation of resource towns and peripheries: Political economy perspectives. (pp. 317-335). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Connelly, S., & Nel, E. (2017). New Zealand: Employment and labor in New Zealand: Recent trends and reflections on developments in the West Coast and Southland regions. In G. Halseth (Ed.), Transformation of resource towns and peripheries: Political economy perspectives. (pp. 221-242). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Connelly, S., & Nel, E. (2017). New Zealand: Restructuring of the New Zealand economy: Global-local links and evidence from the West Coast and Southland regions. In G. Halseth (Ed.), Transformation of resource towns and peripheries: Political economy perspectives. (pp. 112-136). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Jackson, T., Nel, E., & Connelly, S. (2017). Subnational rural governance and development: Case studies of England, Scotland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In E. Schoburgh & R. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of research on sub-national governance and development. (pp. 117-149). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1645-3.ch006
Chapter in Book - Research
Marais, L., Nel, E., & Donaldson, R. (2016). Secondary cities in South Africa: National settlement patterns and urban research. In L. Marais, E. Nel & R. Donaldson (Eds.), Secondary cities and development. (pp. 1-26). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Marais, L., Nel, E., & Donaldson, R. (2016). The role of secondary cities in South Africa's development. In L. Marais, E. Nel & R. Donaldson (Eds.), Secondary cities and development. (pp. 159-178). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., Marais, L., & Donaldson, R. (2016). The international literature and context. In L. Marais, E. Nel & R. Donaldson (Eds.), Secondary cities and development. (pp. 27-48). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Thornton, A., & Nel, E. (2014). Agrarianism, capitalism or protectionism? Exploring economic restructuring and local responses amidst global change in Samoa. In M. Sakai, E. Jurriëns, J. Zhang & A. Thornton (Eds.), Disaster relief in the Asia Pacific: Agency and resilience. (pp. 171-188). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., Binns, T., & Bek, D. (2013). Fair trade and alternative food networks in the internationalization of small-scale rural entrepreneurs in South Africa. In H. Etemad (Ed.), The process of internationalization in emerging SMEs and emerging economies. (pp. 234-259). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Chapter in Book - Research
Hoogendoorn, G., & Nel, E. (2012). Exploring small town development dynamics in rural South Africa's post-productivist landscapes. In R. Donaldson & L. Marais (Eds.), Small town geographies in Africa: Experiences from South Africa and elsewhere. New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., & Binns, J. A. (2008). Evolving economic marginality and local economic development responses in selected South African gold and coal mining areas. In M. M. Valenca, E. Nel & W. Leimgruber (Eds.), The global challenge and marginalization. (pp. 197-208). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., Valença, M. M., & Leimgruber, W. (2008). Introduction. In M. M. Valenca, E. Nel & W. Leimgruber (Eds.), The global challenge and marginalization. (pp. 1-12). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Binns, T., Bek, D., Nel, E., & Ellison, B. (2007). Sidestepping the mainstream: Fairtrade Rooibos tea production in Wupperthal, South Africa. In D. Maye, L. Holloway & M. Kneafsey (Eds.), Alternative food geographies: Representation and practice. (pp. 331-350). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., & Binns, T. (2005). Putting ¨developmental local government¨ into practice: The experience of South Africa's towns and cities. In E. Nel & C. M. Rogerson (Eds.), The experience of Southern Africa: Local economic development in the developing world. (pp. 37-56). New Brunswick, USA: Transaction.
Chapter in Book - Research
Nel, E., & Pelc, S. (2020). Introduction. In E. Nel & S. Pelc (Eds.), Responses to geographical marginality and marginalization: From social innovation to regional development. (pp. 1-8). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51342-9_1
Chapter in Book - 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
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
Powe, N. A., Connelly, S., & Nel, E. (2022). Planning for small town reorientation: Key policy choices within external support. Journal of Rural Studies, 90, 65-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.009
Journal - Research Article
Uko, E., Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2022). ‘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. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/21683565.2022.2124474
Journal - Research Article
Wither, D., Orchiston, C., Cradock-Henry, N. A., & Nel, E. (2021). Advancing practical applications of resilience in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Ecology & Society, 26(3), 1. doi: 10.5751/es-12409-260301
Journal - Research Article
Latai-Niusulu, A., Binns, T., & Nel, E. (2020). Climate change and community resilience in Samoa. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 41, 40-60. doi: 10.1111/sjtg.12299
Journal - Research Article
Latai-Niusulu, A., Nel, E., & Binns, T. (2020). Positionality and protocol in field research: Undertaking community-based investigations in Samoa. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 61(1), 71-84. doi: 10.1111/apv.12252
Journal - Research Article
Lynch, K., Nel, E., & Binns, T. (2020). ‘Transforming Freetown’: Dilemmas of planning and development in a West African City. Cities, 101, 102694. doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2020.102694
Journal - Research Article
Nel, E., & Connelly, S. (2020). Regional economic transformation: Changing land and resource access on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Land Use Policy, 93, 103947. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.04.008
Journal - Research Article
