Dr. E. John Ward is Associate Professor in Infrastructure Planning, and Director of MSc Infrastructure Planning, Appraisal and Development at the Bartlett School of Planning and Senior Research Fellow at the OMEGA Centre. John’s principal areas of research and teaching lie in the fields of infrastructure planning and appraisal using both quantitative and qualitative tools and techniques (including Cost Benefit Analysis, Infrastructure Business Cases, Impact Analysis and Multi-Criteria Analysis), as well as in the analysis and mitigation of infrastructure project risk, uncertainty and complexity in strategic decision-making. 

John holds a BEng and MSc in European Civil Engineering from the University of Warwick (1999), an MSc and DIC in Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics from Imperial College of Science and Medicine (2001) and a PhD in Computer Modelling of Pedestrian Movement from UCL (2007).

Prior to joining the Bartlett School of Planning, John was a researcher at the Centre of Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) where he developed both macro and micro scale validated models of pedestrian movement in central London using spatial datasets, statistical techniques, object orientated programming languages and agent based modelling paradigms. 

John has also worked for local governments and for a private consultancy in the fields of transportation and spatial analysis. This work has included: assisting the Maltese Government with the identification of investment priorities for heritage assets; building multiple criteria analysis frameworks for the evaluation of project proposals submitted to the REGU division of the European Investment Bank; working with the Systems Centre, University of Bristol and UCL CPM to develop tools for the identification, mapping and exploitation of infrastructure interdependency to inform Infrastructure UK (HMT Treasury);  the development of the London Pedestrian Model for TfL; base-lining the social and environmental impacts of the Canning Town regeneration project for London Borough of Newham;  mapping crime risk through linking spatial crime data to pedestrian flows in central London for The Central London Partnership; undertaking a safety study of the Notting Hill Carnival for Westminster City Council; and conducting design guidance for 8 A&E departments for the NHS Trust “Reforming Emergency Care” programme.

Prior to Joining CASA John was an EU Young Researcher at the University of Pavia, Italy: where he developed a dynamic finite element model for the assessment and design of reinforced concrete buildings under seismic loads.