Arthur is a registered architect and chartered town planner with experience at partner level in private practice, university teaching and research and has been a Built Environment Ministerial Advisor for nine years.

Arthur specialises in community involvement and introduced the concept of civic stewardship into the reformed planning system in Northern Ireland.

Arthur is a board member and chairs several community development organisations, working across traditional disciplines and sectors to integrate proposals holistically, using a popular common sense approach to achieve better places, short term through stewardship and longer term through design.

Arthur led the design and development team that produced and implemented the competition-winning masterplan for the first penthouse apartments on the river during the Laganside Development Corporation’s regeneration of Belfast, following this with a mixed use private and social housing project incorporating community childcare, linking the river with the adjacent housing area.

He conceptualised and implemented the regeneration of former mill buildings to create city centre living spaces and converted the formerly derelict Grade A Listed Gosford Castle into private dwellings.

He has chaired briefing and design reviews for social, educational and leisure projects and successfully presented at planning appeals.