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 School of Geography and the Environment

University of Oxford

 The Transport Studies Unit

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Part of the School of Geography and the Environment
Dr Matthew Niblett

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Dr Matthew Niblett

Academic Profile

Dr Matthew Niblett has been involved with transport research since 2001, including work for consultancy firm Social Research Associates and an investigation of historical navigation rights on the River Kennet. He has keen interests in the history and development of the public realm and society, has a DPhil in Modern History, and was a Research Fellow in Oxford University's Faculty of Theology until 2010.

He is currently the General Secretary of the Independent Transport Commission (ITC), founded in 1999 as Britain's leading independent think tank and research charity covering issues in transport and the built environment. He has helped to develop the Commission's recent research output, including the Long Distance Domestic Travel Study, part sponsored by the Department for Transport, and the Commission's recent study of Transport Appraisal presented to the Parliamentary Transport Select Committee.

Matthew became a Visiting Research Associate with the TSU early in 2009.

Current Research

Matthew's areas of research interest include the historical development of transport and society, the behavioural dimensions of human travel, and the relationship of movement to the built environment. Matthew's interests reflect his firm belief that the 'long view' is crucial to better understand and develop policy, and he is at present writing a monograph on the historical geography of London with the Alan Baxter Foundation.

Beyond this, his role involves commissioning and managing research for the ITC, as well as the dissemination of this output through seminars, lectures, and special events. Current and ongoing projects with the Commission include:

  • Why Travel?
    Why, at the most fundamental level, do people travel? Why is movement so important? And does our desire for travel have limits? These questions cut to the heart of understanding human movement, and yet are often approached from rather narrow perspectives. This project aims to research these questions using an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from history, philosophy, anthropology, sociology and behavioural economics.
  • The Consequences of a Two-speed Britain
    With the go-ahead for High Speed Rail links connecting London and the Midlands, where will this leave those areas of Britain without fast connections to the capital? And are we witnessing the beginnings of a British megalopolis, eventually stretching from London to Manchester? This research will investigate the consequences of developing a two-speed Britain.
  • The Transport and Planning Challenges of Demographic Change
    The Office for National Statistics is predicting a rise in the British population to 70 million by 2030. At the same time the demographic structure of the population is dramatically shifting. This research stream is exploring the consequences of these changes on travel and urban development in Britain.
  • The Carbon Effects of Long Distance Travel
    The ITC's Long Distance Travel Model, designed by Professor Joyce Dargay and released in 2010, was the first to focus on forecasting long distance travel demand in Britain across all modes through to 2030. Using data from the study, this project will map the carbon footprints arising from the adoption of a variety of transport policy scenarios.