John is a planning icon of Australia and is of course the Founding Director of Essential Economics, he is an economist, a town and regional planner and has more than 40 years of consulting experience in the industry. He is a life fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and a fellow of the Victorian Planning Environmental Law Association (VPELA). John is an avid blues and roots music fan and has been involved with the revitalisation of Clarkesdale in Mississippi (the home of blues) and has worked across a number of cities across the world.