30 January, 2017

Urban Geography welcomes Dr. Thomas Sigler



Dr Thomas Sigler has joined IPSE’s Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning as a visiting scholar for the first half of 2017. Having recently arrived from Australia, Dr Sigler is a Lecturer in Human Geography within the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Queensland in Brisbane. He received his BA from the University of Southern California in Geography and International Relations, and his MSc and PhD from The Pennsylvania State University in Geography.

His doctoral thesis focussed on the ‘relational city’ concept, which theorises a distinct class of cities whose global relevance is assumed, but whose economic and social structures are fundamentally reliant on intermediary functions such as logistics, transport, and warehousing rather than manufacturing or advanced producer services. This research began in Panama City, but has incorporated Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and most recently Luxembourg City as a case study site for relational cities research.

His most recent research focusses on economic networks, and how these shape urban and territorial development. This research applies spatial analysis and social network analysis (SNA) and Dr Sigler was recently awarded an Australian Research Council grant to further this work on global economic networks through 2019.

Dr Sigler has published a number of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and refereed conference papers. His articles have appeared in a variety of journals including Environment and Planning A, Urban Geography, Urban Studies, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, and Geoforum. Recent publications include the following:

Sigler TJ and Martinus K (2016). Urban positionality in a global system: economic linkages through the Australia-based corporate network. Environment and Planning A, DOI: 10.1177/0308518X16659478

Sigler TJ (2016) After the World City has Globalised: Toward a Nuanced Ontology of World City Research. Geography Compass 10(9), 389-398 

Sigler TJ, Searle G, Martinus K, and Tonts M (2015). Metropolitan land use patterns by industry group: A spatial analysis of firm headquarters and branch office locations in Australian cities. Urban Geography 37(3): 416-435 

He will be situated in Room 2.143 in the Maison des Sciences Humaines on the Belval Campus, and is happy to chat with anyone pursuing related research and teaching.

No comments: