Danie du Plessis is a registered town and regional planner with 30 years’ experience in urban management, policy development, and spatial and statistical analysis of cities and urban systems. Prior to his academic career at Stellenbosch University, Dr Du Plessis spent 17 years as a town and regional planning consultant and completed more than 200 local and international research and contract assignments. These included spatial development plans and frameworks, housing plans and strategies at local, regional and national level, long-term city development strategies, regional growth and development strategies, integrated development plans, and environmental management frameworks. Dr Du Plessis has been a member of the CRUISE team since 2009, and Director of the Centre since November 2019. His teaching and research focusses on innovation in urban planning systems, urban spatial transformation, and spatial statistical analysis and modelling of cities and urban systems.