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My teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level focuses on planning practice, social and environmental change and rural and regional planning. I also have a strong interest in student work relating to participatory planning activity and planning in developing economies.

La Trobe University Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student  Learning 2012: For the development and provision of a sustained program of experiential field trips and international study tour programs and exchanges that have enhanced the overall student experience.

• Butt, A (2013) 'Exploring Peri-urbanisation and Agricultural Systems in the Melbourne region', Geographical Research
• Butt, A (2013) ‘Development, dilution and functional change in the peri-urban landscape: what does it really mean for agriculture?’ (in Higgins, Miller & Farmer-Bowers (eds) Food Security in Australia: challenges and prospects for the future, Springer, NY)
• Butt, A & Ratnayake, R (2012)  'Encountering Ethics and Politics through International Planning Field Studies', in The Proceedings of the Australia and New Zealand Association of Planning Schools 2012 Conference, La Trobe University, Bendigo Australia
• Ratnayake, R, Butt, A & de Cotta, T (2012) 'Settlement, Access And Regional Land Use Outcomes For Post-Tsunami Housing Reconstruction: A Case Study Of The Trincomalee Region, Sri Lanka', Proceedings of 6th International Conference and Workshop on the Built Environment in Developing Countries, Adelaide, December (award for best paper in Planning Stream) 
• Buxton, M; Butt, A; Farrell, S; Pelikan, M; Alvarez, A; Densley, L and O'Neill, D. (2012) A spatial framework to support scenario planning for Melbourne's Peri-Urban region - planning options for water security and climate change adaption. In; Climate Change 2012: Water and Climate: Policy Implementation Changes; Proceedings of the 2nd Practical Responses to Climate Change Conference, 1-3 May 2012, Canberra. Barton, A.C.T.: Engineers Australia, pp450-461
• Budge, T & Butt, A (2012) 'A Sustainability Agenda in Planning Education' in Robertson, M (ed) Schooling for Sustainable Development: A Focus on Australia, New Zealand, and the Oceanic Region, Springer
• Budge, T, Butt, A, Chesterfield, M, Kennedy, M, Buxton, M, Tremain, D, (2012), Does Australia need a national policy to preserve agriculture land?, Australian Farm Institute, Australian Farm Institute
• Budge, T & Butt, A (2012) Regional Cities’ in Beilharz, P & Hogan T (eds) Sociology: Antipodean Perspectives, Oxford University Press, Melbourne
• Jorgenson, Martin, Budge, Butt, Kennedy and Warburton (2012) ‘Where to Invest? A regional analysis of small town development needs in an Australian state’ Paper to presented at the Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam, June 2012
• Butt, A, Budge, T, Ratnayake, R and Mahanama, PKS (2011) ‘Planning education and inter-cultural collaboration: awareness, innovation, reflection and preparation for practice’ Proceedings of the 3rd World Planning Schools Congress/ANZAPS, 4-8 July 2011, Perth, WA 
• Buxton, M. Butt, A. Farrell, S. & Alvarez, A. (2011) 'Future of the fringe: scenarios for Melbourne 's peri-urban growth' State of Australian Cities Conference, Melbourne 
• Butt, A (2011) Functional Change in the Peri-Metropolis: What does it really mean for agriculture and food systems?' State of Australian Cities Conference, Melbourne 
• Butt, A (2011) ‘The country town and the city network: the expanding commuter field of Melbourne’, in Martin, J and Budge, T (eds) The Sustainability of Australia’s Country Towns: Renewal, Renaissance, Resilience, VURRN Press Ballarat
• Mercer, D., Buxton, M., Haynes, R. and Butt, A. (2011) ‘Vulnerability to bushfire risk at Melbourne's urban fringe: The failure of regulatory land use planning’, Geographical Research 49(1) 
• Butt, A, Rudner, J and Mees, P (2010) ‘Public Transport and Density in Mid-Sized Australian Cities’, Future of Australia's Mid-Sized Cities Conference 2010 : Bendigo
• Budge, T, Butt, A and Ratnayake, R 2009, ‘Cross Cultural Leaning from the Tsunami: Professional Planners from Australia and Sri Lanka’, Bhumi 1(1): 44-55.
• Budge, T and Butt, A 2009, 'The Shock of the New: Experimenting with Innovative Methods to Teach Core Curriculum'. Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Planning Schools Conference (ANZAPS), Brisbane, Queensland, September 2009. 
• Budge, T. M. Buxton, D. Mercer, J. Lehmann, A. Butt, C. Slade, M. Kennedy, (2010) The Impacts of a Localised Food Supply: What is the Evidence? (VicHealth Research through ACG received in 2009)

• Budge, T, Butt, A, Fraser, K, Kennedy, M, Slade, C and Vaughan, N (2009), ‘Broadband in Drought-Affected Communities: Assessing the current and potential role of broadband infrastructure and access in strengthening communities’. Funded by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Research Grants Program.
• Butt, A, Buxton, M, Haynes, R and Lechner, A 2009, 'Peri-urban growth, Planning and bushfire in the Melbourne City-region', State of Australian Cities Conference, Perth November 2009. 
• Budge, T and Butt, A 2009, 'I’ll have my city medium thanks. What do medium sized cities offer an urban planning and policy agenda?' State of Australian Cities Conference, Perth November 2009. 
• Butt, A (2008), 'The limits of planning practice in an emerging multifunctional rural landscape: peri-metropolitan Melbourne, Australia', Sustainability, Space and Social Justice: the UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference, Queen's University, Belfast.
• Buxton, M, Alverez, A, Butt, A and O'Neill, D (2008), 'Planning Sustainable Futures for Melbourne's Peri-urban Region', (Monograph 1) RMIT University, Melbourne
• Butt, A and Budge, T 2008, 'What about Australia's Small Cities: Do they have their own Planning and Development Agenda?', State of Australian Cities 2007 Conference, South Australia.
• Buxton, M, Tieman, G, Bekesy, S, Budge, T, Butt, A and Coote, M 2008, 'Change and Continuity in Peri-Urban Australia: Bendigo Case Study', Monograph 2 (Change and Continuity in Peri-urban Australia), RMIT University, Melbourne.

My research includes investigations of the processes and practice of planning in non-metropolitan settings. In particular, I am interested in the way in which land use planners operate as professionals in a context where drivers of change often sit outside of the limits of planning action. 

I am presently developing a collaborative project developing scenario modelling for future populaton and land use change, impacts and policy options in central Victoria, Australia.  

I am also presently involved in an exploration of the role of spatial planning in post-tsunami housing projects in eastern Sri Lanka.