Prof Peter Newton
Professor Peter Newton
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Peter Newton is an Emeritus Professor at Swinburne University of Technology and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
He has an international reputation in built environment research where he has been a pioneer in applying new information and communications technologies to the fields of building and planning, developing new eco-efficiency assessment tools for delivering more sustainable and decarbonised built environments at scales ranging from building to neighbourhood to city, and creating new models for the regenerative planning and development of Australia’s cities and regions. He has created new insights for urban research by integrating knowledge in IT, spatial science, sustainability science and behavioural science.
He has held research leadership positions at CSIRO (Chief Research Scientist,1994-2006), Swinburne University (Research Professor, 2007-2022) and University of Melbourne (as Interim Director of AURIN, 2022). He has worked extensively in a research capacity with universities, industry and government and has a clear understanding of how each sector can more effectively collaborate. This enabled him to become a key player in the formation of Telecom’s Centre of Expertise in Geographic Information Systems and Analysis, AHURI, AURIN, and three Co-Operative Research Centres (Construction Innovation; Low Carbon Living; Spatial Information) where he has held senior research leadership and management positions. In addition, he has been involved in strategic planning undertaken as a member of the Boards of CIB, AURIN and CRC for Water Sensitive Cities.
Significant portfolios of research have flowed from this resulting in competitive research contracts exceeding $8million as the lead CI, 25 commercially published books as author or editor (most recently, Future Cities Making 2025 Springer), 100 book chapters and 75 journal arricles. He has also been a member of the Expert Working Group for the National State of Environment Report on the Built Environment in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021; member of ARC National Research Priorities Working Group (2013); a member of the Research Evaluation Committee for ARC’s Excellence for Research in Australia (2015); reviewer for ARC Discovery and Linkage grants since 2010; a member of the College of Assessors for NZ Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Research Program since 2018; and an international reviewer for the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) since 2021. The roles listed above have all required an ability to either creatively scope new research projects for competitive funding by organisations Newton was affiliated with, or to critically peer-review the quality of proposals submitted for funding by ‘external’ researchers and their organisations.