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Paul Mees

February 11, 2024

Paul Mees OAM (20 March 1961 – 19 June 2013) was an Australian academic, specialising in urban planning and public transport.

Paul Mees in 2006

Mees died on 19 June 2013, 14 months after the diagnosis of kidney cancer. He was 52.[1] At the time of his death he was an associate professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University.

A committed educator and prolific researcher, Mees was also well known outside academic circles for his advocacy and activism in support of public transport as a means of sustainable transport, particularly in urban areas. In both his campaigning and academic work Mees confronted powerful interests, questioned the status quo and challenged common community perceptions of good policy and practice – often courting controversy.[2] It was the distinctive fusion of his achievements as a scholar and as an activist that set Mees apart from many of his academic peers.

Shortly after his death, Senator Penny Wright, a fellow law student and debating colleague, paid tribute to Mees in the Australian Senate.[3] More recently he was recognised for his achievements in the Australia Day Honours of 2014, posthumously awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to public transport and urban planning as an academic and advocate for creating sustainable cities".[4]

Scholarship edit

Mees began his professional career as a lawyer in the mid 1980s. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne, he was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He practised mostly in industrial relations law, first at Melbourne law firm Gill Kane & Co and later at Maurice Blackburn.[5]

In the early 1990s Mees left the law to return to study, his doctoral research at the University of Melbourne involving a comparison of public transport in Toronto and Melbourne, and his thesis accounted for the relative success of the former compared to the latter in the post-war period, given the otherwise physical and demographic similarities of the two cities. He gained his PhD in 1997. His thesis, which was later published under the title A Very Public Solution is considered an authoritative text in the field.[5][6]

After a period as a research fellow at the Australian National University's Urban Research Program, in 1998 Mees returned to the University of Melbourne to teach and research. In 2008, amid a public furore over academic independence, he was demoted by the university. Its key complaint related to public criticisms Mees had made about state government officials, although a subsequent investigation dismissed the university's complaints.[5][7] By that time, however, Mees had resigned to take up an appointment at RMIT University.[8] Promoted to associate professor in 2012,[5] Mees researched and taught at RMIT until his death.

Mees's work was principally concerned with the planning of public transport in cities. He was a strong advocate for public transport, but less keen on urban bicycles as a realistic mass transport solution. His work provided the basis for the European Union's 2005 HiTrans project on improving public transport in medium-sized cities and towns. He was also a member of the international advisory council for Paris's New Mobility Agenda Project.[9] His most recent research was on planning decision support tools for multimodal urban transport systems, and improvements to urban public transport planning in Australia.

Activism edit

With an early interest in environmental and social justice issues, Mees studied environmental law as part of his undergraduate degree. In the 1980s his interests segued to a focus on sustainable transport, and he became involved in public transport advocacy through the Public Transport Users Association in Melbourne, becoming president of the organisation from 1992 to 2001.[10]

Mees was a provocative and articulate contributor to public debates on transport planning in Victoria, Australia over three decades, and arguably the best-known authority on public transport and urban planning in Australia. In addition to the many public platforms he shared with experts and commentators, Mees was a sought-after media spokesperson, making hundreds of appearances in both print and electronic media around Australia over the decades. Only a month before he died he was interviewed on ABC TV's 7.30.[11]

Among the notable activist projects with which Mees involved himself were legal actions attempting to prevent the construction of expensive transport projects contrary to his views on what constituted good public transport policy. In the late 1990s he questioned the legality of aspects of the largest urban infrastructure project in Australia's history, the CityLink tollway system in Melbourne.[12] Mees unsuccessfully contested the building of a marshalling yard and a new tram "superstop" in front of the main entrance to the University of Melbourne's Parkville campus on Swanston Street, and opposed the building of the proposed Melbourne Metro Rail Project tunnel under the centre of Melbourne, on the grounds that much less expensive options are available to boost capacity on the Melbourne suburban rail network. In the early 2000s he also helped to establish the short-lived Public Transport First Party in Victoria, which campaigned in selected electorates on transport-related issues.[5]

In his final months, although seriously ill, Mees persisted in his campaigning endeavours. In 2013 he questioned the quality of research behind the Victorian Government's proposed east–west tunnel link in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs, recording a video presentation for a major public meeting a week before his death.[13]

Debating edit

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Mees was an active member of the Australian debating community. He debated in competition from schools level, through university, to adult level. Mees served on the Executive of the Debaters Association of Victoria, adjudicated schools competition, and participated in selection and training of the Victorian Schools Debating Team. As an adult, he represented Victoria at the National Debating Championships, and was a member of the winning team in Hobart in 1992.[14]

Personal edit

In 1988 Mees married journalist, academic and teacher Erica Cervini.[5]

Mees died in Melbourne on 19 June 2013, aged 52.[5] Mees was survived by Cervini; his mother Roma and father Tom, a retired barrister specialising in industrial relations law; and his three younger brothers – Peter (also a lawyer), Bernard (also an RMIT academic), and Stephen.

Selected publications edit

  • Mees, Paul (1996) Do public choice and public transport mix? An Australian-Canadian comparison, Canberra. A.C.T. : Urban Research Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University (ISBN 0731525175)
  • Mees, Paul (2000) A Very Public Solution: public transport in the dispersed city, Carlton South, Vic: Melbourne University Press (ISBN 0522848672)
  • Mees, Paul (2009) Transport for Suburbia: Beyond the Automobile Age, Earthscan (ISBN 9781844077403)

Notes edit

  1. ^ Lucas, Clay (20 June 2013). "Mees dies following battle with cancer". The Age. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  2. ^ Burke, Matthew (20 June 2013). "Vale Paul Mees, Australia's leading transport & land use researcher".
  3. ^ Wright, Penny (26 June 2013), Vale Dr Paul Mees - Adjournment speech
  4. ^ (PDF), Governor-General of Australia, 2014, archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2014, retrieved 4 February 2014
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Brear, Philippa (22 June 2013). . The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013.
  6. ^ , Melbourne University Press, 29 February 1996, archived from the original on 22 February 2014
  7. ^ , National Tertiary Education Union website, August 2008, archived from the original on 22 February 2014
  8. ^ Lucas, Clay (20 May 2008). "Melbourne Uni demotes transport dissident". The Age. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  9. ^ Brear, Philippa (22 June 2013). "Academic, champion of public transport". The Age. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  10. ^ , Public Transport Users' Association, 26 January 2014, archived from the original on 22 February 2014
  11. ^ Stayner, Guy (21 June 2013). "Video: Remembering Paul Mees". ABC News. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  12. ^ Daniel, Zoe (2 March 2001). "Victorian CityLink operator lodges compensation claim". AM on ABC Local Radio. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Paul Mees on Trains Not Toll Roads". YouTube. 23 June 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  14. ^ , Debaters Association of Victoria, 21 June 2013, archived from the original on 23 February 2014

Further reading and external links edit

  • Clay, Lucas (27 April 2008). . The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013.
  • , Catalyst, Australian Broadcasting Commission, 21 March 2002, archived from the original on 6 November 2012
  • , Up Close, University of Melbourne, 2007, archived from the original on 2 March 2011
  • , Insight, SBS Television, 10 May 2001, archived from the original on 11 September 2007
  • Daniel, Zoe (2 March 2001), , AM, Australian Broadcasting Commission, archived from the original on 4 November 2012
  • Moynihan, Stephen; Millar, Royce (18 May 2006). . The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012.
  • , Collingwood Action Group, 15 July 2004, archived from the original on 30 October 2013, Paul Mees assesses Melbourne 2030
  • (PDF), July 2008, archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2014

February 11, 2024
paul, mees, march, 1961, june, 2013, australian, academic, specialising, urban, planning, public, transport, 2006mees, died, june, 2013, months, after, diagnosis, kidney, cancer, time, death, associate, professor, school, global, urban, social, studies, rmit, . Paul Mees OAM 20 March 1961 19 June 2013 was an Australian academic specialising in urban planning and public transport Paul Mees in 2006Mees died on 19 June 2013 14 months after the diagnosis of kidney cancer He was 52 1 At the time of his death he was an associate professor in the School of Global Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University A committed educator and prolific researcher Mees was also well known outside academic circles for his advocacy and activism in support of public transport as a means of sustainable transport particularly in urban areas In both his campaigning and academic work Mees confronted powerful interests questioned the status quo and challenged common community perceptions of good policy and practice often courting controversy 2 It was the distinctive fusion of his achievements as a scholar and as an activist that set Mees apart from many of his academic peers Shortly after his death Senator Penny Wright a fellow law student and debating colleague paid tribute to Mees in the Australian Senate 3 More recently he was recognised for his achievements in the Australia Day Honours of 2014 posthumously awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia OAM for service to public transport and urban planning as an academic and advocate for creating sustainable cities 4 Contents 1 Scholarship 2 Activism 3 Debating 4 Personal 5 Selected publications 6 Notes 7 Further reading and external linksScholarship editMees began his professional career as a lawyer in the mid 1980s Having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws Hons from the University of Melbourne he was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria He practised mostly in industrial relations law first at Melbourne law firm Gill Kane amp Co and later at Maurice Blackburn 5 In the early 1990s Mees left the law to return to study his doctoral research at the University of Melbourne involving a comparison of public transport in Toronto and Melbourne and his thesis accounted for the relative success of the former compared to the latter in the post war period given the otherwise physical and demographic similarities of the two cities He gained his PhD in 1997 His thesis which was later published under the title A Very Public Solution is considered an authoritative text in the field 5 6 After a period as a research fellow at the Australian National University s Urban Research Program in 1998 Mees returned to the University of Melbourne to teach and research In 2008 amid a public furore over academic independence he was demoted by the university Its key complaint related to public criticisms Mees had made about state government officials although a subsequent investigation dismissed the university s complaints 5 7 By that time however Mees had resigned to take up an appointment at RMIT University 8 Promoted to associate professor in 2012 5 Mees researched and taught at RMIT until his death Mees s work was principally concerned with the planning of public transport in cities He was a strong advocate for public transport but less keen on urban bicycles as a realistic mass transport solution His work provided the basis for the European Union s 2005 HiTrans project on improving public transport in medium sized cities and towns He was also a member of the international advisory council for Paris s New Mobility Agenda Project 9 His most recent research was on planning decision support tools for multimodal urban transport systems and improvements to urban public transport planning in Australia Activism editWith an early interest in environmental and social justice issues Mees studied environmental law as part of his undergraduate degree In the 1980s his interests segued to a focus on sustainable transport and he became involved in public transport advocacy through the Public Transport Users Association in Melbourne becoming president of the organisation from 1992 to 2001 10 Mees was a provocative and articulate contributor to public debates on transport planning in Victoria Australia over three decades and arguably the best known authority on public transport and urban planning in Australia In addition to the many public platforms he shared with experts and commentators Mees was a sought after media spokesperson making hundreds of appearances in both print and electronic media around Australia over the decades Only a month before he died he was interviewed on ABC TV s 7 30 11 Among the notable activist projects with which Mees involved himself were legal actions attempting to prevent the construction of expensive transport projects contrary to his views on what constituted good public transport policy In the late 1990s he questioned the legality of aspects of the largest urban infrastructure project in Australia s history the CityLink tollway system in Melbourne 12 Mees unsuccessfully contested the building of a marshalling yard and a new tram superstop in front of the main entrance to the University of Melbourne s Parkville campus on Swanston Street and opposed the building of the proposed Melbourne Metro Rail Project tunnel under the centre of Melbourne on the grounds that much less expensive options are available to boost capacity on the Melbourne suburban rail network In the early 2000s he also helped to establish the short lived Public Transport First Party in Victoria which campaigned in selected electorates on transport related issues 5 In his final months although seriously ill Mees persisted in his campaigning endeavours In 2013 he questioned the quality of research behind the Victorian Government s proposed east west tunnel link in Melbourne s inner northern suburbs recording a video presentation for a major public meeting a week before his death 13 Debating editThroughout the 1980s and 1990s Mees was an active member of the Australian debating community He debated in competition from schools level through university to adult level Mees served on the Executive of the Debaters Association of Victoria adjudicated schools competition and participated in selection and training of the Victorian Schools Debating Team As an adult he represented Victoria at the National Debating Championships and was a member of the winning team in Hobart in 1992 14 Personal editIn 1988 Mees married journalist academic and teacher Erica Cervini 5 Mees died in Melbourne on 19 June 2013 aged 52 5 Mees was survived by Cervini his mother Roma and father Tom a retired barrister specialising in industrial relations law and his three younger brothers Peter also a lawyer Bernard also an RMIT academic and Stephen Selected publications editMees Paul 1996 Do public choice and public transport mix An Australian Canadian comparison Canberra A C T Urban Research Program Research School of Social Sciences Australian National University ISBN 0731525175 Mees Paul 2000 A Very Public Solution public transport in the dispersed city Carlton South Vic Melbourne University Press ISBN 0522848672 Mees Paul 2009 Transport for Suburbia Beyond the Automobile Age Earthscan ISBN 9781844077403 Notes edit Lucas Clay 20 June 2013 Mees dies following battle with cancer The Age Retrieved 29 October 2013 Burke Matthew 20 June 2013 Vale Paul Mees Australia s leading transport amp land use researcher Wright Penny 26 June 2013 Vale Dr Paul Mees Adjournment speech Medal OAM of the Order of Australia in the General Division PDF Governor General of Australia 2014 archived from the original PDF on 10 February 2014 retrieved 4 February 2014 a b c d e f g Brear Philippa 22 June 2013 Academic champion of public transport The Age Fairfax Media Archived from the original on 2 October 2013 A Very Public Solution Melbourne University Press 29 February 1996 archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Paul Mees Statement on controversy at University of Melbourne National Tertiary Education Union website August 2008 archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Lucas Clay 20 May 2008 Melbourne Uni demotes transport dissident The Age Retrieved 28 October 2013 Brear Philippa 22 June 2013 Academic champion of public transport The Age Retrieved 29 October 2013 Dr Paul Mees OAM 1961 2013 Public Transport Users Association 26 January 2014 archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Stayner Guy 21 June 2013 Video Remembering Paul Mees ABC News Retrieved 28 July 2022 Daniel Zoe 2 March 2001 Victorian CityLink operator lodges compensation claim AM on ABC Local Radio Retrieved 28 July 2022 Paul Mees on Trains Not Toll Roads YouTube 23 June 2013 Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 Retrieved 27 April 2014 21 June Debaters Association of Victoria 21 June 2013 archived from the original on 23 February 2014Further reading and external links editClay Lucas 27 April 2008 Going nowhere fast in car fuel efficiency The Age Fairfax Media Archived from the original on 23 January 2013 Science of traffic Catalyst Australian Broadcasting Commission 21 March 2002 archived from the original on 6 November 2012 Getting Public Transport Back on Track Up Close University of Melbourne 2007 archived from the original on 2 March 2011 Paying the Toll Insight SBS Television 10 May 2001 archived from the original on 11 September 2007 Daniel Zoe 2 March 2001 Victorian CityLink operator lodges compensation claim AM Australian Broadcasting Commission archived from the original on 4 November 2012 Moynihan Stephen Millar Royce 18 May 2006 Transport plan labelled too little too late The Age Fairfax Media Archived from the original on 20 October 2012 Paul Mees Collingwood Action Group 15 July 2004 archived from the original on 30 October 2013 Paul Mees assesses Melbourne 2030 Does Melbourne need another central city rail tunnel PDF July 2008 archived from the original PDF on 28 February 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Mees amp oldid 1190919408, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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