Prof Peter Merriman

BA and PhD degrees, School of Geography at the University of Nottingham Certificate in Further Professional Studies in Higher Education, The University of Reading

Prof Peter Merriman

Professor in Human Geography

Department Director of Research (DGES)

Contact Details

Profile

Professor Peter Merriman is a cultural and historical geographer whose interdisciplinary research focuses on mobility, theories of space and place, architectural geographies, nationalism and national identity, and the cultural-historical geographies of 20th Century Wales. He is one of the world's leading scholars in mobility studies.

Pete completed his BA and PhD degrees in the School of Geography at the University of Nottingham, and he was a Lecturer at The University of Reading from 2000 to 2005. Pete joined the Department as a Lecturer in July 2005, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008, Reader in 2012, and a Personal Chair in 2014. Pete is a member of the AHRC Peer Review College and the European Science Foundation College of Expert Reviewers, as well as being a Fellow of the HEA, Book Reviews Editor for 'Cultural Geographies' and Associate Editor of 'Transfers''. He also sits on the editorial boards of 'Mobilities', 'AppliedMobilities', and the interdisciplinary 'Spatial Practices' book series published by Rodopi. He has previously served as a member of the Management Group of the ESRC Wales Doctoral Training Centre.

Responsibilities: * Director of Research, Department of Geography & Earth Sciences * Head of the Cultural and Historical Geography Research Group * Chair of the DGES Research Committee * Member of the IGHPP Research Committee * Member of DGES Executive Committee

Teaching

Module Coordinator
Lecturer
Tutor

Areas of PhD supervision:

  • Cultural and historical geography
  • Mobility and transport
  • Space and social theory
  • Cultures of landscape
  • Twentieth century Britain
  • Welsh cultural history/Welsh nationalism

Current PhD Students: * Will Andrews * Nina Sharp * Lowri Ponsford * Eugene Dubens * Prididome Pipatchukiat * Flossie Baldock

Research

Mobility

My long-standing interest in mobility and driving stems from my doctoral research at the University of Nottingham, which was revised and published as 'Driving spaces: a cultural-historical geography of England's M1 motorway' (Blackwell Publishing, 2007). My second book, 'Mobility, Space and Culture' (Routledge, 2012), combines a critical interrogation of theoretical approaches to 'mobility', 'space' and 'place'/'site' with detailed empirical research on experiences of, and social reactions to, driving in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

In addition, to these two major projects I co-edited 'Geographies of Mobilities: Practices, Spaces, Subjects' (Ashgate, 2011), and 'The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities' (2014). I am currently preparing edited volumes on mobility and the humanities, mobility and empire, and military mobilities. I am an Associate Editor of 'Transfers: Interdisciplinary Journal of Mobility Studies', a member of the editorial boards of 'Mobilities' and ‘Applied Mobilities’. From 2015 to 2017 I authored the annual progress reports on mobilities for 'Progress in Human Geography'.

Theories of Space and Place

Over the past five years I have been working on a number of publications which seek to advance contemporary theories of landscape, space and place in the social sciences and humanities. Following the publication of my book 'Mobility, Space and Culture' (2012), I edited a four-volume major reference work on ‘Space’ in the ‘Critical Concepts in Geography Series (Routledge, 2016). I am currently writing a book on 'Space' for Routledge's 'Key ideas in Geography' Series.

Nationalism and National Identity<

Research Groups

Publications

Molar and Molecular mobilities: the Politics of Perceptible and imperceptible MovementsMerriman, P. 2018 In : Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.
Mobility and the HumanitiesMerriman, P. (ed.) & Pearce, L. (ed.) 2018 Taylor & Francis.
Bookish cultural geographiesMerriman, P. & Rogers, A. 2018 In : Cultural Geographies.25, 1, p. 239-2435 p.
National bodies and affects: A reply to Antonsich and SkeyMerriman, P. & Jones, R. 2017 In : Progress in Human Geography.41, 6, p. 846-8483 p.
Nations, materialities and affectsMerriman, P. & Jones, R. 2017 In : Progress in Human Geography.41, 5, p. 600-61718 p.
Military Mobilities in an Age of Global War, 1870-1945Merriman, P. & Peters, K. 2017 In : Journal of Historical Geography.58, p. 53-608 p.
Mobility and the HumanitiesMerriman, P. & Pearce, L. 2017 In : Mobilities.12, 4, p. 493-50816 p.
Mobilities III: ArrivalsMerriman, P. 2017 In : Progress in Human Geography.41, 3, p. 375-3817 p.
Mobility Infrastructures: Modern visions, affective environments, and the problem of car parkingMerriman, P. 2017 Traces of a Mobile Field: Ten Years of Mobilities Research. Faulconbridge, J. R. & Hui, A. (eds.). Taylor & Francis, p. 83-9816 p.
‘Landscape and Englishness’… and meMerriman, P. 2017 In : Cultural Geographies.24, 1, p. 181-1844 p.
Interventions on Military MobilitiesMerriman, P., Peters, K., Adey, P., Cresswell, T., Forsyth, I. & Woodward, R. 2017 In : Political Geography.56, p. 44-528 p.
Mobilities and Representations: A Conversation with Peter Merriman, Colin Divall, Sunny Stalter-Pace, and Tim CresswellCresswell, T., Divall, C., Merriman, P., Singh, D., Stalter-Pace, S. & Thelle, M. 2017 In : Mobility in History.8, 1, p. 5-1813 p.
Afterword: Ordinary mobilities, ordinary incarcerationsMerriman, P. 2016 Carceral Mobilities: Interrogating Movement in Incarceration. Turner, J. & Peters, K. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 250-2512 p. (Routledge Studies in Human Geography)
Mobilities II: CruisingMerriman, P. 2016 In : Progress in Human Geography.40, 4, p. 555-564
Youth organizations and the reproduction of nationalism in Britain: the role of Urdd Gobaith CymruJones, R., Merriman, P. & Mills, S. 2016 In : Social and Cultural Geography.17, 5, p. 714-73421 p.
Mobility Infrastructures: Modern Visions, Affective Environments, and the Problem of Car ParkingMerriman, P. 2016 In : Mobilities.11, 1, p. 83-9816 p.
Space: outlining a key conceptMerriman, P. 2016 Space : Volume 1: Foundational Texts. Merriman, P. (ed.). Taylor & Francis, Vol. 1, p. 1-5858 p. (Critical Concepts in Geography)
SpaceMerriman, P. (ed.) 2016 Taylor & Francis. 1934 p. (Critical Concepts in Geography)
Human geography without time-spaceMerriman, P. 2015 Space. Merriman, P. (ed.). Taylor & Francis, Vol. 4, p. 163-18624 p. (Critical concepts in Geography)
Performing internal migrationHalfacree, K. & Merriman, P. 2015 Internal migration: geographical perspectives and processes. Smith, D., Finney, N., Halfacree, K. & Walford, N. (eds.). Farnham: Taylor & Francis, p. 149-16416 p. (International Population Studies)
Road works: Some observations on representing roadsMerriman, P. 2015 In : Transfers.5, 1, p. 108-1136 p.
Motorways and the modernisation of Britain's road network, 1937-70Merriman, P. 2015 From rail to road and back again?: a century of transport competition and interdependency. Roth, R. & Divall, C. (eds.). Farnham: Taylor & Francis, p. 315-33824 p.
Mobilities I: DeparturesMerriman, P. 2015 In : Progress in Human Geography.39, 1, p. 87-959 p.
Mobilities, crises and turns: some comments on dissensus, comparative studies, and spatial historiesMerriman, P. 2015 In : Mobility in History.6, 1, p. 20-3415 p.
MobilityMerriman, P. 2014 Globalization in practice. Rupp, W., Thrift, N., Tickell, A. & Woolgar, S. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 31-344 p.
The Routledge Handbook of MobilitiesAdey, P. (ed.), Bissell, D. (ed.), Hannam, K. (ed.), Merriman, P. (ed.) & Sheller, M. (ed.) 2014 Taylor & Francis. 624 p.
IntroductionAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 1-2020 p.
Introduction: Genealogies, philosophies, approachesAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 21-244 p.
Introduction: QualitiesAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 103-1063 p.
Introduction: Spaces, systems, infrastructuresAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 183-1875 p.
MaterialitiesAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 265-2684 p.
SubjectsAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 345-3484 p.
EventsAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 439-4413 p.
IntroductionAdey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. 2014 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 1-20 (Routledge Handbooks)
Rethinking Mobile MethodsMerriman, P. 2014 In : Mobilities.9, 2, p. 167-18721 p.
RoadsMerriman, P. 2013 The Routledge Handbook of Mobilities. Adey, P., Bissell, D., Hannam, K., Merriman, P. & Sheller, M. (eds.). London: Taylor & Francis, p. 196-2049 p. (Routledge Handbooks)
Archaeologies of automobilityMerriman, P. 2013 The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Contemporary World. Graves-Brown, P., Harrison, R. & Piccini, A. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 437-45014 p.
Networking communities: mobility, nationalism and the historical geographies of connective infrastructuresMerriman, P. & Jones, R. 2013 Arts and Humanities Research Council. 13 p.
Unpicking space-time: Towards new apprehensions of movement-spaceMerriman, P. 2013 Space and Mobility. Ehland, C. (ed.). Amsterdam: Brill, p. 177-19216 p. (Spatial practices)
What are surfaces?Forsyth, I., Robinson, J., Merriman, P. R. & Lorimer, H. 2013 In : Environment and Planning A.45, 5, p. 1013-1020
Mobility: geographies, histories, sociologiesMerriman, P. R., Jones, R. A., Cresswell, T. J., Divall, C., Mom, G., Sheller, M. & Urry, J. 2013 In : Transfers.3, 1, p. 147-16519 p.
EditorialMom, G., Clarsen, G., Merriman, P., Seiler, C., Sheller, M. & Weber, H. 2013 In : Transfers.3, 1, p. 1-55 p.
Mobility, Space and CultureMerriman, P. 2012 Taylor & Francis. 224 p. (International Library of Sociology)
Motorways, modern heritage and the British LandscapeMerriman, P. 2012 The Good, the Bad and the Unbuilt: Handling the Heritage of the Recent Past. May, S., Orange, H. & Penrose, S. (eds.). Oxford: Archaeopress
Profiling the passenger: mobilities, identities, embodimentsAdey, P., Bissell, D., McCormack, D. & Merriman, P. R. 2012 In : Cultural Geographies.19, 2, p. 169-193
Space and spatiality in theoryMerriman, P., Jones, M., Olsson, G., Sheppard, E., Thrift, N. & Tuan, Y-F. 2012 In : Dialogues in Human Geography.2, 1, p. 3-22
Britain and the motorway club: the effect of European and North American motorway construction on attitudes in Britain, 1930-1960Merriman, P. 2012 In : Transfers.2, 1, p. 106-13328 p.
Human geography without time-spaceMerriman, P. 2012 In : Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers.37, 1, p. 13-27
Network nationJones, R. & Merriman, P. 2012 In : Environment and Planning A.45, 4, p. 937953 p.
Driving places: Marc Augé, non-places and the geographies of England’s M1 motorwayMerriman, P. 2011 Human Geography: Space, Place and Landscape. Gregory, D. & Castree, N. (eds.). London: SAGE Publications, Vol. 3, p. 315-33622 p.
Practising architecturesJacobs, J. M. & Merriman, P. 2011 In : Social and Cultural Geography.12, 3, p. 211-22212 p.
Geographies of mobilities: Practices, Spaces, SubjectsCresswell, T., Merriman, P., Cresswell, T. (ed.) & Merriman, P. (ed.) 2011 Taylor & Francis.
Introduction: Geographies of mobilities: practices, spaces, subjectsCresswell, T. & Merriman, P. 2011 Geographies of mobilities: Practices, Spaces, Subjects. Cresswell, T. & Merriman, P. (eds.). Taylor & Francis, p. 1-1515 p.
Roads: Lawrence Halprin, modern dance and the American freeway landscapeMerriman, P. 2011 Geographies of mobilities: Practices, Spaces, Subjects. Cresswell, T. & Merriman, P. (eds.). Taylor & Francis, p. 99-11719 p.
Enfolding and gathering the landscape: the geographies of England's M1 motorway corridorMerriman, P. 2011 Routes, Roads and Landscapes. Hvattum, M., Brenna, B., Elvebakk, B. & Larsen, J. K. (eds.). Taylor & Francis, p. 213-22614 p.
Marc AugéMerriman, P. 2010 Key Thinkers on Space and Place . Hubbard, P. & Kitchin, R. (eds.). 2nd ed.SAGE Publications, p. 26-338 p.
Architecture/dance: Choreographing and inhabiting spaces with Anna and Lawrence HalprinMerriman, P. 2010 In : Cultural Geographies.17, 4, p. 427-44923 p.
Architecture and geographyMerriman, P. 2010 Encyclopedia of Geography. Warf, B. (ed.). SAGE Publications
Creating an archive of geographical engagementMerriman, P. 2010 In : Area.42, 3, p. 387-3904 p.
Marc Augé on space, place and non-placeMerriman, P. 2009 In : Irish Journal of French Studies.9, p. 9-2921 p.
The First Day on the M1Merriman, P. 2009 In : BBC History Magazine.10, 11, p. 62-654 p.
Travel projects: landscape, art, movementMerriman, P. & Webster, C. 2009 In : Cultural Geographies.16, 4, p. 525-53511 p.
The M1 at 50Merriman, P. 2009 C20 Magazine, p. 16-161 p.
MobilityMerriman, P. 2009 International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Kitchin, R. & Thrift, N. (eds.). Elsevier, Vol. 7, p. 134-14310 p.
'Symbols of Justice': The Welsh Language Society’s campaign for bilingual road signs in Wales, 1967-1980Merriman, P. & Jones, R. 2009 In : Journal of Historical Geography.35, 2, p. 350-37526 p.
Hot, banal and everyday nationalism: Bilingual road signs in WalesJones, R. & Merriman, P. 2009 In : Political Geography.28, 3, p. 164-17310 p.
Automobility and the geographies of the carMerriman, P. 2009 In : Geography Compass.3, 2, p. 586-59914 p.
Driving Germany: the Landscape of the German Autobahn, 1930-1970, Thomas Zeller. Berghahn Books, Oxford (2007), 289 pages, £50 hardbackMerriman, P. 2008 In : Journal of Historical Geography.34, 4, p. 661-6633 p.
'Beautified' is a vile phrase : the politics and aesthetics of landscaping roads in Pre- and Post-war BritainMerriman, P. R. 2008 The world beyond the windshield : roads and landscapes in the United States and Europe. Mauch, C. & Zeller, T. (eds.). Ohio: Ohio University Press, p. 168-18619 p.
Landscape, mobility, practiceMerriman, P., Revill, G., Cresswell, T. J., Lorimer, H., Matless, D., Rose, G. & Wylie, J. 2008 In : Social and Cultural Geography.9, 2, p. 191-21222 p.
Driving spaces: a cultural-historical geography of England's M1 motorwayMerriman, P. 2007 Oxford: Wiley. 305 p.
‘Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre’: Assembling and governing the motorway driver in late 1950s BritainMerriman, P. 2006 In : Sociological Review.54, S1, p. 75-9218 p.
'A new look at the English landscape': landscape architecture, movement and the aesthetics of motorways in early postwar BritainMerriman, P. 2006 In : Cultural Geographies.13, 1, p. 78-10528 p.
Places/non-placesMerriman, P. 2006 In : Performance Research.11, 3, p. 94-95
'Respect the life of the countryside': the Country Code, government and the conduct of visitors to the countryside in post-war England and WalesMerriman, P. 2005 In : Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers.30, 3, p. 336-35015 p.
'Operation motorway': Landscapes of construction on England's M1 motorwayMerriman, P. 2005 In : Journal of Historical Geography.31, 1, p. 113-13321 p.
Materiality, subjectification, and government: the geographies of Britain's Motorway CodeMerriman, P. 2005 In : Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.23, 2, p. 235-25016 p.
Driving places - Marc Auge, non-places, and the geographies of England's M1 motorwayMerriman, P. 2004 In : Theory, Culture and Society.21, 4-5, p. 145-16723 p.