Metadata
Title
Sebastien Darchen
Category
general
UUID
6d642e2df7094858bc689f7492b72cf9
Source URL
https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/2545
Parent URL
https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/44989
Crawl Time
2026-03-11T07:35:32+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown 
# Sebastien Darchen

**Source**: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/2545
**Parent**: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/44989

Dr

# Sebastien Darchen

Email:
:   [s.darchen@uq.edu.au](mailto:s.darchen@uq.edu.au)

Phone:
:   [+61 7 336 53910](tel:+61 7 336 53910)

## Positions

Affiliate of Centre of Architecture, Theory, Culture, and History
:   Centre of Architecture, Theory, Culture and History
:   Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Senior Lecturer
:   School of Architecture, Design and Planning
:   Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

## Overview

### Background

Dr. Sébastien Darchen holds a PhD in Urban Studies obtained in 2008 at Institut de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Urbanisation) in Montreal, Canada.

His main research area is about the political economy of the built environment. He studies the strategies of urban stakeholders (Developers, City Planners, Urban Designers) involved in the provision of the built environment especially in urban regeneration contexts He is also interested in cultural planning and in developing practical solutions to sustain creativity in cities and create great places in cities (place-making).

**Topics**: Urban regeneration; Land-use planning; Political economy of the built environment; Cultural history of cities; Place-making

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### Availability

Dr Sebastien Darchen is:
:   Available for supervision

### Fields of research

[Built Environment and Design](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/search?research-field=4763)

### Qualifications

- Bachelor of Urban Planning, Université Paris VIII
- Masters (Coursework), Université Paris VIII
- Postgraduate Diploma, Paris West University Nanterre La Defense
- Masters (Coursework), University of Cape Town
- Doctor of Philosophy, L'Université du Québec à Montréal

### Research interests

- #### Urban and regional planning

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- #### Creative industries

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- #### Urban regeneration

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- #### Globalisation

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- #### History of music scenes

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- #### Culture and cities

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### Research impacts

Dr. Sébastien Darchen has expertise in urban regeneration in different urban contexts (France, Canada, U.S and Australia). He has published 40 referreed academic articles most of them in top urban planning/urban studies journals such as *Urban Studies*, *Cities*, *European Planning Studies*. He was the lead editor for 3 edited collections published with Routledge and Palgrave McMillan. One book on urban sustainability and 2 on music and place.

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## Works

[Search Professor Sebastien Darchen’s works on UQ eSpace](http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/list/author_id/88900)

[All
(91)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/all)
[Book
(3)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/4747)
[Journal Article
(41)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/4748)
[Other Outputs
(10)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/4749)
[Conference Publication
(13)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/4751)
[Book Chapter
(24)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/2545/4752)

2025

Journal Article

##### Spatial impacts of Melbourne's ‘agent of change’ principle and Brisbane's ‘designated entertainment precinct’ policy on the fairness of live music venue access

Browning, Yanto, Darchen, Sébastien and Ahmad, Mubeen (2025). Spatial impacts of Melbourne's ‘agent of change’ principle and Brisbane's ‘designated entertainment precinct’ policy on the fairness of live music venue access. City, Culture and Society, 42 100650, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ccs.2025.100650

[Spatial impacts of Melbourne's ‘agent of change’ principle and Brisbane's ‘designated entertainment precinct’ policy on the fairness of live music venue access](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:b2aff5f)

2025

Book Chapter

##### Behind the American dream: The Gun Club's imaginary city

Darchen, Sébastien (2025). Behind the American dream: The Gun Club's imaginary city. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles - imaginary cities. (pp. 65-85) edited by Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Mcmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_5

[Behind the American dream: The Gun Club's imaginary city](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:bcb1e48)

2025

Book Chapter

##### Concluding comments

Darchen, Sebastien (2025). Concluding comments. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: "imaginary cities". (pp. 241-250) edited by Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave McMillan Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_16

[Concluding comments](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:bb929a8)

2025

Book

##### Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: ‘imaginary cities’

Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras eds. (2025). Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: ‘imaginary cities’. Palgrave Studies in the History of Subcultures and Popular Music, Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave McMillan Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9

[Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: ‘imaginary cities’](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:bb85f97)

2025

Book Chapter

##### The value of city representations for urban theory. Interview with Roger Keil

Darchen, Sebastien (2025). The value of city representations for urban theory. Interview with Roger Keil. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: ‘imaginary cities’. (pp. 227-239) edited by Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave McMillan Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_15

[The value of city representations for urban theory. Interview with Roger Keil](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:e70d14c)

2025

Book Chapter

##### Dark city: L.A.'s stories behind the music. Interview with Terry Graham

Darchen, Sebastien (2025). Dark city: L.A.'s stories behind the music. Interview with Terry Graham. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: 'imaginary cities'. (pp. 49-63) edited by Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave McMillan Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_4

[Dark city: L.A.'s stories behind the music. Interview with Terry Graham](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:0b05bee)

2025

Journal Article

##### Emergence and fall of the Hollywood punk scene in Los Angeles: analysis of place-bound attributes vs translocal factors

Darchen, Sébastien (2025). Emergence and fall of the Hollywood punk scene in Los Angeles: analysis of place-bound attributes vs translocal factors. City, Culture and Society, 40 100624, 100624. doi: 10.1016/j.ccs.2025.100624

[Emergence and fall of the Hollywood punk scene in Los Angeles: analysis of place-bound attributes vs translocal factors](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:324cd9a)

2025

Book Chapter

##### The undead like to party! Interview with Jenn Bats

Darchen, Sebastien (2025). The undead like to party! Interview with Jenn Bats. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles: ‘imaginary cities’. (pp. 135-144) edited by Sebastien Darchen, John Willsteed and Damien Charrieras. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave McMillan Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_9

[The undead like to party! Interview with Jenn Bats](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:5c8b720)

2025

Book Chapter

##### Imaginary cities: a lens to study music cultures and music-making practices in L.A. urban contexts

Darchen, Sebastien, Charrieras, Damien and Willsteed, John (2025). Imaginary cities: a lens to study music cultures and music-making practices in L.A. urban contexts. Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles. (pp. 1-20) London, United Kingdom: Palgrave McMillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75499-9\_1

[Imaginary cities: a lens to study music cultures and music-making practices in L.A. urban contexts](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:eb484e4)

2024

Other Outputs

##### The Gun Club: l’épopée musicale de Jeffrey Lee Pierce

Darchen, Sébastien (2024). The Gun Club: l’épopée musicale de Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Rosières-en-Haye, France: Camion Blanc.

[The Gun Club: l’épopée musicale de Jeffrey Lee Pierce](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:d9ad60b)

2024

Journal Article

##### The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industries of Brisbane and an evaluation of the policy response

Browning, Yanto and Darchen, Sébastien (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industries of Brisbane and an evaluation of the policy response. Australian Planner, 60 (2), 113-124. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2023.2298428

[The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industries of Brisbane and an evaluation of the policy response](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:60ec212)

2023

Journal Article

##### Alternative Brisbane: Evolution of goth and punk subcultures as ‘counter-cities’

Darchen, Sebastien, Browning, Yanto and Willsteed, John (2023). Alternative Brisbane: Evolution of goth and punk subcultures as ‘counter-cities’. Cities, 141 104484, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104484

[Alternative Brisbane: Evolution of goth and punk subcultures as ‘counter-cities’](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:9103548)

2023

Journal Article

##### Regeneration and ‘placemaking’ without governance in a greyfield context: the transformation of Salisbury, Queensland, Australia

Darchen, Sebastien (2023). Regeneration and ‘placemaking’ without governance in a greyfield context: the transformation of Salisbury, Queensland, Australia. Built Environment, 49 (1), 115-131. doi: 10.2148/benv.49.1.115

[Regeneration and ‘placemaking’ without governance in a greyfield context: the transformation of Salisbury, Queensland, Australia](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:a4e865e)

2022

Book Chapter

##### Smart densification

Ahmad, Mubeen, Darchen, Sebastien, Alidoust, Sara and Sipe, Neil (2022). Smart densification. The Palgrave encyclopedia of urban and regional futures. (pp. 1520-1528) edited by Robert C. Brears. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-87745-3\_278

[Smart densification](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:7b63c7e)

2022

Journal Article

##### Alternative public space: experiences and lessons from Indonesian cities

Panjaitan, Tigor Wilfritz Soaduon, Pojani, Dorina and Darchen, Sébastien (2022). Alternative public space: experiences and lessons from Indonesian cities. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Urban Design and Planning, 175 (2) 2100005, 56-66. doi: 10.1680/jurdp.21.00005

[Alternative public space: experiences and lessons from Indonesian cities](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:bc58ad3)

2022

Journal Article

##### The music city paradigm and its policy side: A focus on Brisbane and Melbourne

Darchen, Sebastien, Willsteed, John and Browning, Yanto (2022). The music city paradigm and its policy side: A focus on Brisbane and Melbourne. Cultural Trends, 32 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/09548963.2022.2062565

[The music city paradigm and its policy side: A focus on Brisbane and Melbourne](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:d47e600)

2022

Journal Article

##### The transformation of public space production and consumption in post-reformation Indonesian cities

Soaduon Panjaitan, Tigor Wilfritz, Pojani, Dorina and Darchen, Sébastien (2022). The transformation of public space production and consumption in post-reformation Indonesian cities. City, Culture and Society, 29 100444, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ccs.2022.100444

[The transformation of public space production and consumption in post-reformation Indonesian cities](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:0871dfd)

2022

Journal Article

##### ‘Transitory urbanism’ for the creative industries in a top-down regeneration process (Nantes, France)

Darchen, Sébastien and Simon, Gwendal (2022). ‘Transitory urbanism’ for the creative industries in a top-down regeneration process (Nantes, France). European Planning Studies, 30 (10), 1-18. doi: 10.1080/09654313.2021.2024149

[‘Transitory urbanism’ for the creative industries in a top-down regeneration process (Nantes, France)](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:11e5c48)

2021

Journal Article

##### Place-bound attributes in music scenes. Evolution of the independent electronica music scene in Brisbane since the mid-1980s

Darchen, Sebastien, Charrieras, Damien and Willsteed, John (2021). Place-bound attributes in music scenes. Evolution of the independent electronica music scene in Brisbane since the mid-1980s. Continuum, 36 (1), 1-14. doi: 10.1080/10304312.2021.1998370

[Place-bound attributes in music scenes. Evolution of the independent electronica music scene in Brisbane since the mid-1980s](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:77e9f1d)

2021

Other Outputs

##### Electronic cities: between Covid and gentrification dance music is struggling to find its groove again

Darchen, Sebastien, Charrieras, Damien and Willsteed, John (2021, 03 08). Electronic cities: between Covid and gentrification dance music is struggling to find its groove again

[Electronic cities: between Covid and gentrification dance music is struggling to find its groove again](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:859e6fe)

## Funding

### Current funding

- 2025 - 2030

  ARC Training Centre for Climate-Resilient Water

  ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres

  [Open grant](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/project/70285)

### Past funding

- 2011 - 2012

  Economic development strategies, urban governance and policy mobilities in a global context. Case studies of Brisbane and Melbourne

  UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund

  [Open grant](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/project/44273)

## Supervision

### Availability

Dr Sebastien Darchen is:
:   Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on [how to choose a supervisor](https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/how-to-choose-a-supervisor).

### Available projects

- #### Place-making in Australian Cities

  I am looking for PhD candidates on place-making. It could be related to the topic of urban regeneration. But also to the involvement of the local communities in creating 'Places'.

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- #### Culture in Cities

  I am looking for PhD students willing to work on Culture in Cities. It could be on promoting culture in cities through design and planning. The project also includes the study on specific types of culture such as music and the study of music scenes as well as the policies sustaining those scenes.

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- #### Design innovations

  I am looking for PhD students willing to do a PhD thesis on Design innovations in cities. It could be part of regeneration projects. Those innovations might relate to climate change adaptation or more social aspects (placemaking, third place) as well as economic aspects (providing space for new entrepreneurs). The PhD student will identify recent innovations to tackle urban challenges.

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- #### The delivery of affordable housing

  I am looking for PhD students willing to study the delivery of affordable housing in inner-city context in Australian cities. I am especially interested in supervising students with an interest in developing design and planning solutions to resolve the current housing crisis.

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### Supervision history

#### Current supervision

- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### Extended Reality for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (XR+AEC)

  Principal Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Dr Dan Luo](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/24851), [Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/44989)
- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### Developing Great Australian Cities

  Associate Advisor

#### Completed supervision

- 2024

  Doctor Philosophy

  ##### [Bridging Theory and Practice: An Integrated Approach to Urban Growth Management](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:74335ac)

  Principal Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Honorary Professor Neil Sipe](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/10855), [Dr Sara Alidoust](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/25439)
- 2019

  Doctor Philosophy

  ##### [An integrated strategic planning process for developing sustainable master-planned communities and towns](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:bca4a25)

  Principal Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Professor Lynda Cheshire](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/1127)
- 2021

  Doctor Philosophy

  ##### [Public Space Privatisation: The Experience of Indonesian Cities](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:cdf2293)

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Dr Dorina Pojani](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/11894)
- 2020

  Master Philosophy

  ##### [Climate sensitive urban design: a comparison between Brisbane (Australia) and Nagpur (India)](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:a71113d)

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Dr Dorina Pojani](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/11894)

## Media

### Enquiries

For media enquiries about Dr Sebastien Darchen's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

[communications@uq.edu.au](mailto:communications@uq.edu.au)

## External profiles

- [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3043-4446)
- [ResearcherID](https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/K-7451-2016)
- [Scopus](https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=24280583800)
- [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=RTUy4vkAAAAJ)

## Personal links

- [Personal profile](https://adp.uq.edu.au/profile/4166/sebastien-darchen)
- [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/darchen.bsky.social)

## Social media

- [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastien-darchen-68501916/)

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