Place of birth: Somerset, England

Parentage: daughter of R. G. Broadhurst and M. Hurst

Family: daughter, Meesha Nehru

Education: BA (Hons), History, University of Bristol 1963; PhD, Economic and Social History, thesis title: ‘The organised provision for cultural activities in urban centres and their impact on the community, with special reference to Bristol 1870–1914’, University of Bristol 1968

Career: Helen Meller was, until 2006, Professor of Urban History and Director of the Centre for Urban Culture at the University of Nottingham. Her research interests have been on cities and urban history and includes much economic, social and cultural history. Her earliest work was concerned with the way the experience of mass urbanization in Britain influenced ideas about the quality of life in large cities. Key themes were the quality of life in modern cities, urban culture and concepts of civilization. Her current interests branch in three different directions: as Director of the Centre for Urban Culture, further research on the social and cultural parameters of urban history; the history of women in cities, since women’s lives have been shaped particularly by cultural norms; and, a completely new development: the history of green open space in cities: parks, gardens and the introduction of the natural world into the built environment. She is currently working on a history of green open spaces in European cities 1850–2000 which includes the political, social and cultural parameters of the struggles to retain open space in the built environment. Helen Meller is editor of the journal Planning Perspectives (see url below).

Publications include: Leisure and the Changing City 1870–1914 1976, The Ideal City (editor) 1978, Patrick Geddes: Social Evolutionist and City Planner 1990, Towns, Plans and Society in Modern Britain (prepared for the Economic History Society) 1997, European Cities, 1890–1930s: History, Culture, and the Built Environment 2001; numerous articles in professional journals and chapters in edited monographs

Contact details: Address: School of History, Lenton Grove, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, England; Tel: +44 (0)115 925-4354; Fax: +44 (0)115 913-5128; Email: helen.meller@nottingham.ac.uk ; Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/history/ ; Website: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/02665433.asp/ .