Dr Philip Boland is a Reader in Urban Planning at Queen’s University Belfast. His research centres on key empirical, theoretical and policy debates relating to the contemporary city and urban planning. his overarching interest lies in who, what, where and why benefits from urban planning interventions. Dr. Boland has published extensively upon a range of topics: urban governance and economic development, neoliberal urbanism and city competitiveness,urban imagery and city branding, cultural events and cities of culture; drugs, cities and planning; planning for religion and places of worship; digital technology in urban planning; urban regeneration and heritage planning.