Biography

Christopher Bryant holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1970). He was Professor of Geography at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, from 1970 to 1990, and Director of the Local Development Program, a pan-Canadian program in partnership between the University of Waterloo and the Canadian Association for Economic Development, 1984 to 1990. He was a Full Professor in Geography at the University of Montreal from 1990 to 2014, and Adjunct Professor since then. He was Vice-President (1996-2000) and President (2000-2006) of the Commission of the International Geographical Union on the Sustainable Development of Rural Systems. He was Editor in Chief of the Canadian Journal of Regional Science from 1997 to 2010. He is Adjunct Professor) in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Ontario (since September 2012). His very extensive publications and presentations can be consulted on his Research Gate profile.

Research Interest

Peri-Urban and Urban Agriculture and Rural Development: Christopher Bryant is a world-recognized leader in rural and small town research and in the transformation of agricultural peri-urban territories and their planning, management and governance. This research has been funded for over 40 years on a constant basis. His research projects are currently being pursued in Canada, France and the EU. His project in this domain have been funded regularly for over 40 years.
Strategic planning and management and the concertation of actors and citizens in the field of local and regional development and the integration of the principles of sustainable development into these processes. The dynamics of local and regional development processes are fully integrated in his two other research areas.
Adaptation of human activities to climate change, particularly agriculture and tourism, in Quebec and Ontario. His research in this field also deals with the co-construction of collective actions and public policies in order to enhance the adaptation capacity of different actors. His research in this field has been funded by ongoing research grants and contracts for 20 years.