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David is the Inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture and has over 30 years' experience working across the world in development and emergencies. From 1994-98 David was a Project Manager at the Oxford Centre for Disaster Studies. David worked for eight years for the NGO CARE International UK, as head of policy and subsequently Regional Manager for southern and west Africa. From 2006-2013 David was Director of CENDEP, a centre at Oxford Brookes University focusing on development and emergencies. There he led the Masters degree course in Development and Emergency Practice.

Between 2013-14 David was a full time Visiting Professor at Harvard University, where he taught a course, 'Design for urban disaster', and from 2014-2015 was a Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).  

David has published articles and papers concerning urban livelihoods, shelter and disaster risk reduction. He has carried out a number of assignments for NGOs and donors across the world, and in recent years has led post-disaster reviews in Haiti, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines and Nepal. He was editor of the 2016 IFRC World Disasters Report and the 2018 Global Shelter Cluster State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Report, and wrote the 2019 Urban Humanitarian Response Good Practice Review for OD/ALNAP. David's latest book, 'Design for disaster recovery: putting people first to rest humanitarian aid in the built environment', was published by Routledge in March 2026.

David was trained in architecture and holds a Masters degree in Development Practice and a PhD in urban livelihoods and vulnerability. He has undertaken assignments for the Qatar Foundation, IFRC, Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP), Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), European Commission, Humanitarian Coalition (HC), Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC), DFID, USAID, World Bank (EDI Section), UNDP/UNDESA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, British Council, Christian Aid, Habitat For Humanity, CARE Bangladesh, Tear Fund, Save the Children, Oxfam GB, Islamic Relief, Register of Engineers for Disaster Response (REDR) Canada, World Vision International, LSE Public Policy Group, Mott Foundation, Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Action (ELRHA) and the ACT Alliance.

External positions:

• Collaborating Professor, Universitat de Catalunya, since 2020
• Technical Expert, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative since 2017
• Course co-director, annual Urban Humanitarian Emergencies Course (UHEC), Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, since 2013
• Academic member, Steering Group, Global Alliance for Urban Crises (GAUC) 2017-19
• Member, UNISDR Asia Science, Technology and Academia Advisory Group (ASTAAG) 2016-19
• Board member, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) 2014-17
• Steering Committee member, ELRHA, 2014-17
• Chair, Funding Committee, Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF), 2014 -19; member, 2011-19
• Member, Humanitarian Innovations Project Advisory Board, Oxford University, 2012-15
• Visiting professor, Université Paris-Est Créteil, France, 2011-18
• Co-Editor, PLoS: Disasters Journal, 2011-18.