When I stepped back from Council, I did so with clarity and optimism — not just about where our cities were headed, but about the role planning could play in shaping our future. For over two decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of planning, politics, and community, as a mayor, consultant, and researcher. I’ve seen the power of good planning to create liveable, inclusive, future-ready places. I’ve also seen how easily it can be derailed by short-term thinking — and how costly that can be for clients, communities, and councils alike. Greiss Planning exists to bring clarity, rigour, and steady leadership to the approvals process, so good projects can move forward with confidence.
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This article profiles George Greiss’ completion of a PhD in Geography and Urban Planning at Western Sydney University while serving as Campbelltown’s Mayor. It highlights his down-to-earth response to the achievement (not expecting anyone to call him “Doctor”), alongside the significant milestone of being invited to deliver the traditional graduate address as the first School of Social Sciences graduate to do so. The piece emphasises the motivation behind his doctoral journey: a desire to deepen his planning knowledge so he could advocate more effectively for Campbelltown during a period of rapid urban growth and complex decision-making.
The story explains that Greiss’ research investigated community resistance to apartment living in Sydney, drawing insights into why higher-density housing can attract strong opposition. It suggests the PhD shaped how he approaches governance — thinking in systems, weighing decisions through multiple lenses, and connecting planning policy to lived experience. The article finishes with a lighter local detail that also reflects civic values: Greiss’ long-held promise not to cut his hair until the thesis was submitted, and the decision to turn the eventual “ponytail chop” into a fundraising event that raised more than $11,000 for the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre’s wig library.
Read more → Campbelltown mayor George Greiss now also doctor of philosophy