Bio

Darren’s geographical research is positioned at the interfaces between Population Studies, Urban Studies, Rural Studies, and Migration Studies. 

For the last four decades, his work has investigated the growing links of changing places and social conflicts between different social groups and institutions, fuelling the rise of more exclusive, segregated, and transient societies.

He coined the term studentification to conceptualise processes of change within university towns and cities, and opposition to the growth of student populations and the expansion of higher education. To date, he has researched studentification in UK, Ireland, North America, Australia and China.

In the rural context, Darren's work has examined processes of rural gentrification and migration. He was part of an international research team (iRGENT), funded by ESRC, NSF and ANR, that studied international rural gentrification in UK, USA and France.

Academic Career

2012 onwards: Professor of Geography, Loughborough University

2010: Reader of Geography, Loughborough University

2005-10: Reader of Geography, University of Brighton

2002-05: Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Brighton

2001-02: Lecturer in Geography, University of Brighton

2001: ESRC Research Fellow / Lecturer, University of Leeds

1999-01: Teaching Fellow in Geography, University of Leeds

1998-99: ESRC Research Fellow (Award R000237318), University of Leeds

Visiting Posts

2017-25: Adjunct Professor, Hunan University, China (awarded highly-skilled talent R visa for 2019-29)

2023: Visiting Professor, Krakow Pedagogicial University

2018: National Natural Science Foundation of China Visiting Scholarship, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

2017: Tsinghua University Overseas Scholarship (Visiting Professor), Tsinghua University, China

2016: National Social Science Foundation (Visiting Fellowship), Tsinghua University, China

2013: Visiting Research Fellowship Scheme, Peking University, China

2006: NIRSA Research Fellowship, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland

2006: Visiting Academic Fellowship, University of Melbourne, Australia

Editorial Responsibilities

2020 onwards: Editor: The Geographical Journal, Wiley

2019 onwards: Editor-in-Chief: Journal of Rural Studies, Elsevier

2016 onwards: Editor-in-Chief (co-): Population, Space and Place, Wiley

2016-18: Associate Editor: Journal of Rural Studies, Elsevier

2015-16: Editorial Board Member: Population, Space and Place

2012-16: Editorial Board Member: Journal of Rural Studies

Professional Responsibilities

2021 onwards: Chair, Commission on Population Geography, International Geographical Union (IGU)

2016-21: Vice-Chair, Grant Assessment Panel D, Economic & Social Research Council

2012-21: Steering Committee Member of International Geographical Union (IGU), Commission Population Geography

2007 onwards: Chair of Organising Committee of the International Conference of Population Geographies (ICPG)

Publications

Phillips, M., Smith, D.P., Brooking, H., & Duer, M. (2022) The gentrification of a post-industrial rural village: Querying urban planetary perspectives. Journal of Rural Studies, 91: 108-125.

Smith, D.P., Phillips, M., Kinton, C. and Culora, A. (2021) The mobilities and (im)mobilities of rural gentrification: moving on or staying put. Population, Space and Place, 27(7), e.2496.

Phillips, M., Smith, D.P., Brooking, H., & Duer, M. (2021) The agencies of living-landscapes in rural gentrification: impressions from the wood, the village and the moortop. Sociologia Ruralis, 61(4): 66-82.

Phillips, M., Smith, D.P., Brooking, H., & Duer, M. (2021) Re-placing displacement in gentrification studies: Temporality and multi-dimensionality in rural gentrification displacement. Geoforum, 118: 66-82.

Gu, H. & Smith, D.P. (2020) Living off the campus: geographies of urban change and studentifciation in Beijing, China. Urban Geography, 41(2): 205-224.

Phillips, M., Smith, D.P., Brooking, H., & Duer, M. (2020) Idyllic ruralities, displacement and changing forms of gentrification in rural Hertfordshire. Documents D’analisi Geografika, 66(2) 259-287.

Smith, D.P., Phillips, M., Brooking, H., Duer, M. & Kinton, C. (2019) The dynamics of rural gentrification and the effects of ageing on rural places. Journal of Depopulation and Rural Development Studies, 27(1): 129-157.