David Wadley

Dr. David Wadley is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of the Environment at the University of Queensland, affiliated with Earth and Environmental Sciences. He obtained his PhD in 1974 from the Research School of Pacific Studies at the Australian National University, with a thesis titled 'Corporate decision-making during recession: product franchisors in the Australian agricultural machinery industry, 1967-72.' In 2004, he completed a Master's Thesis at UQ's School of Geography, Planning and Architecture entitled 'Social welfare and urban design: Advancing planning and development through visual prominence assessment.' His academic qualifications further include a BA, MBA, MEc, and Dip. Ed. Wadley has had a distinguished career at UQ spanning several decades, previously serving as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography, where he lectured in economic geography, regional planning, and urban studies. He has supervised numerous higher degree by research candidates and delivered seminars on project management and successful thesis completion.

Wadley's research focuses on economic geography, industrial planning, property development, urban planning, regional development, sustainable industry, housing markets, energy infrastructure, and environmental policy. He has produced an extensive body of work, comprising 9 books, 12 book chapters, and 97 journal articles. Prominent books include 'The City of Grace: An Urban Manifesto' (2020, Palgrave Macmillan), 'Corporations in Recession: The Australian Agricultural Machinery Industry' (1979, Department of Human Geography, ANU), 'Restructuring the Regions: Analysis, Policy Model and Prognosis' (1986, OECD), 'Industry, Technology and Regional Development in Queensland: Policy Directions' (1986, Department of Geography, UQ), and 'Business in Queensland: A Comprehensive Bibliography' (1991, with Geoffrey Kiel). His most cited publications are 'Environmental Correlates of Children's Active Transportation: A Systematic Literature Review' (2009, Health & Place, 554 citations) and 'A Review of Research on Agrivoltaic Systems' (2022, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 474 citations). Recent contributions address decarbonization and circular economy, such as 'Advancing Circular Economy Assessments for Sustainability Benchmarking in Resource and Manufacturing Supply Chains' (2025, Journal of Environmental Management), 'The Complexity of Transitioning from Oil Dependency: A Dynamic Modelling Case Study of Indonesia' (2025, Energy Economics), and 'A Breakthrough in Macro-Scale Circularity and Eco-Efficiency Assessment: A Case Study of OECD Countries' (2024, Journal of Environmental Management). Through these works, Wadley has influenced discussions on sustainable development, industrial transformation, and policy in regions including Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Professional Email: d.wadley@uq.edu.au