Dr James Berghan
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Adjunct Research Fellow & Co-Director at Spatial Justice Aotearoa
Dr James Berghan (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri) is an Adjunct Research Fellow with the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies and Co-Director at Spatial Justice Aotearoa, a kaupapa Māori research and design firm based in Pōneke and Ōtautahi. With a background in urban planning and design, James leads several research projects about how housing, transport and cities can better reflect Māori aspirations and belonging.
James holds a Tāwhia Te Mana Future Leader Fellowship from the Royal Society Te Apārangi. His four-year research programme examines how urban change in Aotearoa is framed and contested, including the role of mis- and disinformation in shaping public debate and spatial justice.
His wider research includes a BRANZ-funded project investigating artificial intelligence in architectural design and its implications for whānau-centred housing, Māori data sovereignty and responsible technology use. He is also co-editing his first book, Toitū He Kāinga: Indigenous Futures for Urban Design, which brings together Indigenous perspectives on housing, whenua, urban life, and the future of Aotearoa towns and cities.
James is an Adjunct Research Fellow with the Stout Research Centre for NZ Studies.
Rangahau · Related projects
Reimagining our cities through Indigenous knowledge, identity, and environmental care. Today, over 85% of Māori live in urban environments across Aotearoa. These modern kāinga (settlements) are more than places to live—they’re reflections of identity, connection to whenua, and intergenerational ingenuity. Yet, many Māori have been relegated to the margins…
View projectToitū he Kāinga: Healthy Environmental Relationships in Urban Settings
Reimagining our cities through Indigenous knowledge, identity, and environmental care.
Today, over 85% of Māori live in urban environments across Aotearoa. These modern kāinga (settlements) are more than places to live—they’re reflections of identity, connection to whenua, and intergenerational ingenuity. Yet, many Māori have been relegated to the margins of city spaces, facing spatial injustices that continue to impact wellbeing.
Toitū he Kāinga explores how Māori are reclaiming, revitalising, and reshaping urban landscapes—building sustainable futures through mahi toitū (Māori-led environmental care), identity, and rangatiratanga.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Dr Crystal Victoria Olin
Dr Crystal Victoria Olin
Dr Crystal Victoria Olin is an architectural and urban researcher, designer, leader and educator whose work explores city-making in relation to identity and belonging, justice and care, resilience and the empowerment potential of urbanity. She has lived in Aotearoa New Zealand since 2012 and holds dual US–NZ citizenship. Crystal's recent research has centred on placemaking in public and community housing, with a focus on community infrastructure, urban design, and the complexities of measuring placemaking impact. This work has been undertaken as part of Public Housing & Urban Regeneration… -
Dr James Berghan
Dr James Berghan
Dr James Berghan (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri) is an Adjunct Research Fellow with the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies and Co-Director at Spatial Justice Aotearoa, a kaupapa Māori research and design firm based in Pōneke and Ōtautahi. With a background in urban planning and design, James leads several research projects about how housing, transport and cities can better reflect Māori aspirations and belonging.James holds a Tāwhia Te Mana Future Leader Fellowship from the Royal Society Te Apārangi. His four-year research programme examines how urban change in Aotearoa is framed and… -
Dr Robin Quill
Dr Robin Quill
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Dr Louise Marsh
Dr Louise Marsh
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Dr Rebecca Kiddle
Dr Rebecca Kiddle
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Kiri Waldergrave
Kiri Waldergrave
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Wendy Moore
Wendy Moore
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Dr Jeanette Wikaira
Dr Jeanette Wikaira
Jeanette Wikaira serves as the Thames-Coromandel District Council’s Group Manager Community after five years as part of the executive leadership team at Dunedin City Council.Wikaira, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāpuhi, served in Dunedin as General Manager for Arts, Culture and Recreation, plus General Manager of Community Services, and General Manager of Partnerships, Policy and Governance before deciding to return to the Coromandel.Prior to Wikaira’s local government background, she held senior roles at the University of Otago and Auckland University of Technology and is currently chair…
Ētahi atu · Other people
Arianna Nisa-Waller
Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Arianna Nisa-Waller (Ngāi Te Rangi / Ngāti Ranginui) is a Māori researcher, Indigenous health educator, and…
Arianna Nisa-Waller
Awatea Waimārie Moxon
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngati Pahauwera , Ngāi Tahu
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Awatea Waimārie Moxon's PhD adopts a mixed-methods research approach to provide a thorough understanding of the…
Awatea Waimārie Moxon
Alyssa Thomas
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Alyssa’s research engages with the rangatahi of her hapū, Patuharakeke; with additional funding support from New…