The University of Johannesburg has appointed world-leading scholar Prof. Tan Yigitcanlar as Distinguished Visiting Professor. Prof. Yigitcanlar brings in distinguished experience of over three decades in several Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) tracks that cuts across various multidisciplinary thematic areas across smart cities, urban AI, sustainable urban development and climate responsible planning.
Prof Tan Yigitcanlar has significantly contributed to and has expertise in several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; and SDG 13: Climate Action.
Prof. Tan Yigitcanlar is hosted by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. The department currently offers various programmes that include undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (Honours, Masters, and PhD) in Urban and Regional Planning, Sustainable Urban Planning and Development through course work and research dissertation.
“Over the years, the department has grown significantly and actively contributing to the urban planning sector. With the appointment of Prof. Tan Yigitcanlar, the department aims to bolster its global academic footprint and addressing contemporary challenges in urban planning and development covering a broad spectrum of economic, societal, spatial, governance and technology related issues in the African context and a strong commitment to promoting smart and sustainable urbanisation in South Africa”, Dr Aurobindo Ogra (host).
Prof Tan Yigitcanlar (Profile)
Prof Tan Yigitcanlar is a leading Australian scholar internationally recognised for his contributions to urban studies, sustainability, technology, and planning. He is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia, Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia, while also holding several senior leadership roles. At QUT, he leads the Urban AI Hub, and the City 4.0 Lab, and he also serves as a distinguished member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts.
With a career spanning over three decades, Tan’s work has encompassed research, teaching, training, and capacity building at prestigious universities in Australia, Brazil, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, and Turkey. His research is dedicated to addressing contemporary challenges in urban planning and development, covering a broad spectrum of economic, societal, spatial, governance, and technology-related issues. At the heart of his work lies a strong commitment to promoting smart and sustainable urbanisation.
Tan has provided research consultancy services to all levels of government, international corporations, and non-governmental organisations both in Australia and internationally. His expertise has been instrumental in helping these entities formulate forward-looking strategies, build resilience, and respond effectively to emerging disruptive challenges. He serves as the Lead Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier Smart Cities and CRC Press Urban Intelligence Book Series and holds senior editorial appointments with 13 high-impact academic journals. Tan has held senior leadership roles in more than 40 major international conferences, including serving as chair for 12. He has delivered around 100 keynote and invited addresses at prominent events.
Tan’s research has been widely disseminated through more than 370 articles published in high-impact journals and 36 reference books released by leading international publishers. His scholarship has made a significant contribution to urban policy, practice, and research worldwide, achieving an h-index of over 110 and accumulating more than 40,000 citations.
According to the 2025 Science-wide Author Databases of Standardised Citation Indicators, he is ranked #1 in Australia and among the world’s top-10 researchers in urban and regional planning. He was recognised as an ‘Australian Research Superstar’ in the Social Sciences category by The Australian’s 2020 Research Special Report and named Australia’s ‘Research Field Leader’ in Urban Studies and Planning in the 2024 edition of The Australian Research Magazine. In 2023, he was also recognised by Clarivate as a ‘Highly Cited Researcher’ in the Cross-Field category.
