Bob Zehner is a social scientist whose research and publications have focussed on responses of residents to living in various environments including new towns and planned communities, mining towns and award-winning medium density housing. His work has also included a nationwide study of local government responses to climate change, of Sydney resident responses to aircraft noise, and a longitudinal study of practicing planners and planning education. He came to the UNSW from the University of North Carolina in 1975 as a Fulbright Scholar, and formally joined the School of Town Planning in 1976. He received a 2002 UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, was a 2003 UNSW nominee for an Australian Universities Teaching Committee award, and received an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2008.
Professional affiliation and membership
- Member, Planning Institute of Australia
Member, American Sociological Association
Teaching
Survey research methodology, urban society and sociology, communication, quantitative techniques and data analysis, planning theory and practice I.
Research
Survey methodologist with a wide range of research interests including responses to neighbourhood and community designs, aircraft noise amelioration, local government and climate change, mining towns and planning education. He was the initial Convenor of the Faculty's Urban and Regional Studies Research Group. He is the Joint Leader (with Graham Forsyth of COFA) of the Studio Teaching Project, a collaboration of the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, the RMIT University and the University of Tasmania, which is supported by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (formerly the Carrick Institute) under their Discipline Based Initiatives scheme.
Recent Publications
Scholarly Research Books
Zehner, R., and Forsyth, G., et al. Curriculum Development in Studio Teaching, Volume One Final Report. Kensington: UNSW Studio Teaching Project (2009) [ISBN: 978-0-7334-2822-7]
de la Harpe, B., Wilson, S. and Zehner, R. with Peterson, F. and Frankham, N. Curriculum Development in Studio Teaching, Volume Two STP Academic Survey Report. Kensington: UNSW Studio Teaching Project (2009) [ISBN: 978-0-7334-2823-4]
Blair, J., Prasad, D., Judd, B., Zehner, R., Soebarto, V., and Hyde, R. Affordability and Sustainability Outcomes: A Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Traditional Development and Master Planned Communities Volumes 1 and 2. Prepared for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne, and available at http://www.ahuri.edu.au/.
Burgess, M., and Zehner, R. Aircraft noise amelioration. Acoustics and Vibration Centre, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy
Murphy, PA, Zehner, RB, Hirst, R and Robinson, PA. Computer use by local government planners: An Australian perspective. Environmental Planning and Management Series. Environmental Planning and Management Series, Issue 3, Kensington, School of Town Planning, University of New South Wales
Lea, J.P., and Zehner, R.B. Yellowcake and Crocodiles: Town Planning, Government and Society in Northern Australia. Sydney: George Allen and Unwin [ISBN: 0-86861-875-6]
Zehner, R.B. Access, Travel and Transportation in New Communities. Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing Company [ISBN: 0-88410-462-1]
Zehner, R.B. Indicators of the Quality of Life in New Communities. Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing Company [ISBN: 0-88410-461-3]
Burby, R.J., III, and Weiss, S.F., with Donnelly, T.G., Kaiser, E.J., Zehner, R.B., and Lewis, D.F., Loewenthal, N.H., McCalla, M.E., Rodgers, B.G., Smookler, H.V. New Communities U.S.A.: Results of a National Study. Lexington: Lexington Books [ISBN: 0-669-00371-9]
Zehner, R.B., and Chapin, F.S., Jr., with Howell, J.T. Across the City Line: A White Community in Transition. Lexington: Lexington Books [ISBN: 0-669-91769-9]
Lansing, J.B., Marans, R.W., and Zehner, R.B. Planned Residential Environments. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research [ISBN: 0-87944-088-0]
more...
Papers & Book Chapters
de la Harpe, B., Peterson, J.F., Frankham, N., Zehner, R., Neale, D., Musgrave, E., and McDermott, R. (2009) Assessment Focus in Studio: What is Most Prominent in Architecture, Art and Design? International Journal of Art & Design Education , 28(1), 37-51.
Razzaghi, M., Ramirez, M., and Zehner, R. Cultural patterns in product design ideas: comparisons between Australian and Iranian student concepts. Design Studies, Vol 30, 438-461.
Kordjamshidi, M., King, SE., Zehner, RB. & Prasad, DK. 'Modeling efficient building design: A comparison of conditioned and free-running house rating approaches'. Architectural Science Review 2007; 50(1): pp. 52 - 59.
Zehner, RB and Marshall, NM. 'Community Participation: To be Involved or Not to be Involved - Is That the Question?'. In: Susan Thompson, ed. Planning Australia: An Overview of Urban and Regional Planning. First. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, pp. 247-262.
Corkery, LF., Roche, B., Watson, K. & Zehner, RB. 'Transforming Design Studio Learning and Teaching Through Real World, Interdisciplinary Projects'. In: Proceedings of ConnectED 2007 International Conference on Design Education. Sydney, UNSW, 2007.
Zehner, RB. 'Creativity, Innovation and Change: A faculty-wide first-year course still waiting for lift off'. In: Proceedings of the ConnectED 2007 International Conference on Design Education. Sydney, UNSW, 2007.
Zehner, R., (2002), Planners at work: Tracing continuity and change. Australian Planner, 39, 25-29.
Murphy, P.A., and Zehner, R.B., (1994), Planning and computer technology: A cautious view through the looking glass. In Freestone, R. (ed), Spirited Cities: Urban Planning, Traffic and Environmental Management in the Nineties, Sydney: Federation Pr
Zehner, R., and Burgess, M., (1993), Survey of resident attitudes, in Burgess, M., and Zehner, R. Aircraft noise amelioration. Acoustics and Vibration Centre, University of New South Wales, Australian Defense Force Academy, 26-59.
Zehner, R.B., (1991), Environmental priorities and the greenhouse: Planning at the local government level, Australian Planner, Vol. 29, No. 1, 33-38.
Oluwoye, J.O., and Zehner, R.B. (1988) Pedestrian crossing patterns on arterial roads in Nigeria, in Road Use Behaviour: Theory and Research. Asses/Maastrict, The Netherlands: Van Gorcum, 668-674.
Murphy, P.A., and Zehner, R.B., (1988), Satisfaction with sunbelt migration, Australian Geographical Studies, Vol. 26, 320-324.
Zehner, R.B., and McCalla, M.E., (1977), Response Rates and Prior Letters, Journal of Advertising Research, 17(1), 31-35.
Burby, R.J., III, Weiss, S.F., and Zehner, R.B., (1975), A national evaluation of community services and the Quality of Life in American New Towns, Public Administration Review, 35(3), 229-239.
Zehner, R.B., (1974), Participation in perspective: A look at new town involvement, Sociological Symposium, 12, 65-80.
Zehner, R.B., and Marans, R.W., (1973), Residential density, planning objectives and life in planned communities, Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 39(5), 337-345.
Zehner, R.B., (1973), Neighborhood and community satisfaction in new towns and less planned suburbs, Ekistics, 36(212), 28-30.
Zehner, R.B., (1972), Neighborhood and community satisfaction: A report on new towns and less planned suburbs, in Wohlwill, J.F., and Carson, D.H. (eds) Environment and the Social Sciences: Perspectives and Applications. Washington: American Psycho
Zehner, R.B., (1971), Neighborhood and community satisfaction in new towns and less planned suburbs, Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 37(6), 379-385.
Zehner, R.B. (1970) Sex effects in the interviewing of young adults, Sociological Focus, 3(4), 75-84.
more...
Page Last Updated: 21 Nov 2009
Management Group
Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2008)