Ralph Chapman

BE, MPA, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Victoria University of Wellington
Ralph Chapman

Ralph has worked on climate change mitigation since 1988, in the context of cities, transport, housing and urban planning. He has also worked on environmental management and economics. He stepped down in 2021 as Director of Environmental Studies at Victoria University of Wellington after 16 years. His current projects include the carbon footprint of public housing and how to transition our cities to zero carbon.

Ralph's recent research includes:

  • The Public Housing and Urban Regeneration research programme, addressing the outcomes of public housing provision for urban regeneration and wellbeing, funded by MBIE’s Endeavour Fund.
  • A research commission from the OECD on transitioning cities to zero carbon.

  • The ACTIVE project addressing the impact of investment in walking and cycling infrastructure on encouraging active travel, and reducing car use (papers include a cost-benefit study; and a paper on overall intervention study results).

    Google Scholar:  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Isjj4lIAAAAJ&hl=en

Key publications

  1. Chapman, R.
    Apperley, M.
    Taptiklis, P.
    Viggers, H.
    Shearer, I.
    Penny, G.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Submission to the Electricity Authority on changes to electricity payment rules
    NZ Centre for Sustainable Cities
    Download document
    Submission to Electricity Authority on electricity payment rules.pdf
  2. Apperley, M.
    Viggers, H.
    Walmsley, M.
    Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Penny, G.
    Shearer, I.
    Taptiklis, P.
    The role of smart community microgrids in Aotearoa’s energy future
    Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand,
    Published online: 27 Jan 2025.
    The role of smart community microgrids in Aotearoa’s energy future
    Apperley et al Jan25 Micro grids JRSNZ 051224.pdf
  3. Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Does reframing urban policy around wellbeing support carbon mitigation?
    Buildings and Cities,
    2(1). (Special Collection: Urban systems for sustainability and health)
  4. Ürge-Vorsatz, D.
    Chapman, R.
    1.5°C of Global Warming: Can We Still Get There? Insights from the Urban Development Sector.
    In L. Grant, H. Viggers & P. Howden-Chapman (Eds.), Improving Buildings, Cutting Carbon.
    Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts, Aotearoa
  5. Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Submission on Transforming transport and cities in NZ: a note for the Climate Change Commission’s engagements on transport and urban form.
    New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities.
    Wellington, New Zealand.
    Download document
    Chapman-26aug20-Transport-and-urban-form-note-for-the-CCC.pdf
  6. Hasan, M. A.
    Chapman, R.
    Frame, D. J.
    Acceptability of Transport Emissions Reduction Policies: A Multi-Criteria Analysis.
    Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
    133, 110298.
  7. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Keall, M.
    Whitwell, K.
    Chapman, R.
    Evaluating natural experiments to measure the co-benefits of urban policy interventions to reduce carbon emissions in New Zealand.
    Science of the Total Environment
    700, 134408. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134408
  8. Chapman, R.
    Managing the transition to a climate-neutral economy in cities and regions.
    Background paper for an OECD/EC workshop on 17 May 2019 within the workshop series, 'Managing environmental and energy transitions for regions and cities'.
    Chapman, R. (2019). Managing the transition to a climate-neutral economy in cities and regions. Background paper for an OECD/EC
    Chapman for OECD 2019-Managing-Transition-Regions-Cities.pdf
  9. Chapman, R.
    Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Grams, M.
    Witten, K.
    Randal, E.
    Woodward, A.
    A cost benefit analysis of an active travel intervention with health and carbon emission reduction benefits.
    International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health
    15(5), 962.
  10. Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Capon, A.
    Understanding the systemic nature of cities to improve health and climate change mitigation.
    Environment International
    94, 380-387.
  11. Keall, M.
    Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Witten, K.
    Abrahamse, W.
    Woodward, A.
    Muggeridge, D. Beetham, J. Grams, M.
    Increasing active travel: results of a quasi-experimental pre-post study of an intervention to encourage walking and cycling.
    Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
    doi:10.1136/jech-2015-205466
  12. Chapman, R.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Keall, M.
    Witten, K.
    Abrahamse, W.
    Woodward, A.
    Muggeridge, D. Beetham, J. Grams, M.
    Increasing active travel: aims, methods and baseline measures of a quasi-experimental study.
    BMC Public Health,
    4(1), 935-947.
    Download document
    Chapman 2014 Increasing active travel aims methods and baseline measures of a quasi-experimental study..pdf

Back to top