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urbanstudiesfoundation.org
Urban Studies Foundation
@urbanstudiesfoundation.org
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We provide grant funding for innovative research projects that advance the frontiers of urban knowledge. Follow for news & updates. Read more on our website: https://urbanstudiesfoundation.org
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urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 Online lecture | 16 Jan 2026, 11:30 (GMT)

Professor Beth Perry explores urban epistemics and the “epistemic tangles” shaping how cities are known, governed, and contested

Part of the #USFSeminarSeriesAwards "Epistemes of Non-Dominant Inhabitation."

👉 ow.ly/YbGj50XVfiC
Flyer with USF logo for the event "The Epistemic Tangles of Urban Inhabitation by Professor Beth Perry " with the text "In this lecture Professor Beth Perry will excavate foundational ideas, lexicons and practices of a new research field around ‘urban epistemics’, before providing some specific examples on how this produces particular “epistemic tangles” of urban inhabitation which shape how people come to know the city, how they are subjected to different processes of epistemic exclusion and knowledge politics; and what this means for researchers in different institutions, in the context of an equally exclusionary knowledge production system. This event is a part of the project ‘Epistemes of Non-Dominant Inhabitation: a seminar series for early-career and under-represented scholars to decenter urban knowledge’." on a light blue background. Flyer with USF logo for the event "The Epistemic Tangles of Urban Inhabitation by Professor Beth Perry " with the text "In this lecture Professor Beth Perry will excavate foundational ideas, lexicons and practices of a new research field around ‘urban epistemics’, before providing some specific examples on how this produces particular “epistemic tangles” of urban inhabitation which shape how people come to know the city, how they are subjected to different processes of epistemic exclusion and knowledge politics; and what this means for researchers in different institutions, in the context of an equally exclusionary knowledge production system. This event is a part of the project ‘Epistemes of Non-Dominant Inhabitation: a seminar series for early-career and under-represented scholars to decenter urban knowledge’." on a light blue background.
January 12, 2026 at 8:30 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📍 Next week in Brussels!

🌆 Co-producing Alternative Urban Futures through Experimental Urbanism (
2nd Seminar of the #USFSeminarSeriesAwards)
🗓️ 15–16 January 2026

👉 More info and registration: ow.ly/qPoK50XTbYm
Flyer for the event "Co-producing Alternative Urban Futures through Experimental Urbanism 15 January 2026 to 16 January 2026 08:00 - 20:00 (GMT+1) Location: Vrije Universiteit Brussels, USquare campus, 229 Avenue de la Couronne, 1050 Brussels Language: English" and the text "Organisers: Dr Georgiana Varna, Dr Michael Crilly and Dr Karina Landman The event will consist of a dynamic exchange of ideas to solve complex ‘wicked problems’ and include a combination of talks from academics and practitioners involved in experimental urban projects together with workshops, site visits, and social events." Flyer for the event "Co-producing Alternative Urban Futures through Experimental Urbanism 15 January 2026 to 16 January 2026 08:00 - 20:00 (GMT+1) Location: Vrije Universiteit Brussels, USquare campus, 229 Avenue de la Couronne, 1050 Brussels Language: English" and the text "Organisers: Dr Georgiana Varna, Dr Michael Crilly and Dr Karina Landman The event will consist of a dynamic exchange of ideas to solve complex ‘wicked problems’ and include a combination of talks from academics and practitioners involved in experimental urban projects together with workshops, site visits, and social events."
January 8, 2026 at 8:30 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
⏰ Reminder: Urban Urgencies funding call now open

There’s still time to apply for the Urban Urgencies grant from the Urban Studies Foundation — supporting rapid, collaborative research on pressing urban challenges worldwide.

🗓️ Deadline: 23 March 2026 (23:59 UTC).

🔗 ow.ly/FUIn50XGtgz
USF flyer with USF logo for the Call for Applications "Urban Urgencies" Grant on a picture via Flickr by Hanif Omar, and the quote "The Urban Studies Foundation is launching a major new grant to support rapid-response collaborative research on the world’s most pressing urban challenges." USF flyer with USF logo for the Call for Applications "Urban Urgencies" Grant on a picture via Flickr by Hanif Omar, and the quote "The Urban Studies Foundation is launching a major new grant to support rapid-response collaborative research on the world’s most pressing urban challenges."
January 7, 2026 at 9:45 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🔔 USF Blog!

Former #USFInternationalFellow Dr Nimas Maninggar shares insights from her research on selective inclusion in smart city programmes in Indonesia

Read the guest post 👉 ow.ly/9MlX50XRauL
Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog "Selective inclusion in the Indonesian smart city Project: whose inclusion counts?" on a picture of Visitors entering Kayutangan heritage kampung. Credit: Nimas Maninggar. And the quote "“With more and more cities jumping on the smart city bandwagon, inclusion in smart city programs has become of crucial importance, also in Indonesia. However, in practice, smart city programs tend to be ineffective in achieving inclusion.” Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog "Selective inclusion in the Indonesian smart city Project: whose inclusion counts?" on a picture of Visitors entering Kayutangan heritage kampung. Credit: Nimas Maninggar. And the quote "“With more and more cities jumping on the smart city bandwagon, inclusion in smart city programs has become of crucial importance, also in Indonesia. However, in practice, smart city programs tend to be ineffective in achieving inclusion.”
January 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
👉 New on the #USFBlog 🥂

In this guest blog, Naama Blatman, Sage Ponder & Suraya Scheba reflect on "Reparative Urban Futures," a #USF-supported workshop bringing scholars and community organisers together to rethink infrastructure, abolition, and repair from the ground up.

📖 ow.ly/tHov50XMIY2
Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog "Reparative urban futures: reconfiguring infrastructures and institutions towards liberation" and the quote "“Communities are already doing the critical work of repairing urban infrastructure while envisioning pathways towards reparative futures. As scholars, we must go beyond simply learning and documenting what communities are doing; they are not just knowledge holders. They are knowledge producers and grounded city planners. “ on a Illustration from ‘Threads and Seeds,’ zine prepared for the Reparative Urban Futures community forum, by Anna Carlson, shared with permission. Copyright Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog "Reparative urban futures: reconfiguring infrastructures and institutions towards liberation" and the quote "“Communities are already doing the critical work of repairing urban infrastructure while envisioning pathways towards reparative futures. As scholars, we must go beyond simply learning and documenting what communities are doing; they are not just knowledge holders. They are knowledge producers and grounded city planners. “ on a Illustration from ‘Threads and Seeds,’ zine prepared for the Reparative Urban Futures community forum, by Anna Carlson, shared with permission. Copyright
December 22, 2025 at 9:45 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📚 New publication!

Former #USFInternationalFellow Deborah Fromm has a new article out: “The business of protection: Insuring urban violence risks in contemporary Brazil.”

🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1080/0308...

#UrbanStudies #Financialization #Brazil
Flyer with USF logo for the paper "The business of protection: Insuring urban violence risks in contemporary Brazil" and the quote "Drawing on ethnographic research with both major insurers and small players in this protection market, this paper examines how financial institutions navigate high-risk urban environments and sheds light on the effects of the financialization of security. It argues that, beyond actuarial rationality, the everyday practices of insurance governance also rely on the outsourcing of violence and on the entrepreneurialization of the public forces of order." on a grey backround. Flyer with USF logo for the paper "The business of protection: Insuring urban violence risks in contemporary Brazil" and the quote "Drawing on ethnographic research with both major insurers and small players in this protection market, this paper examines how financial institutions navigate high-risk urban environments and sheds light on the effects of the financialization of security. It argues that, beyond actuarial rationality, the everyday practices of insurance governance also rely on the outsourcing of violence and on the entrepreneurialization of the public forces of order." on a grey backround.
December 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🌱 New post!
This week, Anant Maringanti, Nausheen Anwar & Aalok Khandekar introduce their #USFSeminarSeriesAwards project "Ordinary Ecologies of Repair", bringing youth across Karachi, Dhaka, Delhi, Chennai & Hyderabad together to rethink climate adaptation.

🔗 ow.ly/cUoq50XJo0h
Flyer with USF Logo for the USF Blog "Ordinary ecologies of repair: youth, urbanity, and environmental change in South Asia" on a picture of a Community space created by neighborhood youth on the edge of a historic lake now covered in water hyacinth - an invasive water plant -Hyderabad Credit: Hyderabad Urban Lab and the quote "“Across South Asia, the climate crisis is not a future condition. It structures the present. Young people are already negotiating heat, polluted air, saline intrusion, and recurring floods. Yet policy discourse continues to frame them only as vulnerable dependents or as a symbolic “future generation” who will someday fix the world.” Flyer with USF Logo for the USF Blog "Ordinary ecologies of repair: youth, urbanity, and environmental change in South Asia" on a picture of a Community space created by neighborhood youth on the edge of a historic lake now covered in water hyacinth - an invasive water plant -Hyderabad Credit: Hyderabad Urban Lab and the quote "“Across South Asia, the climate crisis is not a future condition. It structures the present. Young people are already negotiating heat, polluted air, saline intrusion, and recurring floods. Yet policy discourse continues to frame them only as vulnerable dependents or as a symbolic “future generation” who will someday fix the world.”
December 16, 2025 at 9:45 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📣 Call for Papers!

Tensions in policy learning: Grounding learning practices in urban Southeast Asia
🗓️ 3–5 June 2026
📍 Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), Depok
📝 Apply by 16 January 2026
👉 ow.ly/KcN450XH1o3
Funded by the #USFSeminarSeriesAwards
Flyer with USF logo for the Call for papers "Tensions in policy learning: grounding learning practices in urban Southeast Asia" and the text "To understand how these tensions manifest in practice requires examining how different Southeast Asian cities adapt foreign frameworks to local socio-political conditions. Through comparative case studies, the Seminar Series invites participants to assess how cities balance global best practices with domestic pressures, cultural factors, and institutional constraints. Whether in urban design, economic strategies, technological deployment, or sustainability measures, policy transfer outcomes hinge largely on a delicate process of negotiation— one that ultimately shapes how “learning from abroad” is realised and resisted in the region." Deadline: January 16th, 2026 Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) in Depok, Indonesia. On a grey backround" Flyer with USF logo for the Call for papers "Tensions in policy learning: grounding learning practices in urban Southeast Asia" and the text "To understand how these tensions manifest in practice requires examining how different Southeast Asian cities adapt foreign frameworks to local socio-political conditions. Through comparative case studies, the Seminar Series invites participants to assess how cities balance global best practices with domestic pressures, cultural factors, and institutional constraints. Whether in urban design, economic strategies, technological deployment, or sustainability measures, policy transfer outcomes hinge largely on a delicate process of negotiation— one that ultimately shapes how “learning from abroad” is realised and resisted in the region." Deadline: January 16th, 2026 Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) in Depok, Indonesia. On a grey backround"
December 12, 2025 at 8:15 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 New USF Funding: Urban Urgencies

The Urban Studies Foundation is launching a major new grant to support rapid-response collaborative research on the world’s most pressing urban challenges.

💷 Up to £35,000
🤝 Requires partnership with a non-academic organisation
🗓️ 23 Mar 2026

🔗 ow.ly/FUIn50XGtgz
Flyer with USF logo for the Call for Applications "Urban Urgencies" on a picture of a grafitti via flickr by Julia Tulke and the text "The Urban Studies Foundation is launching a major new grant to support rapid-response collaborative research on the world’s most pressing urban challenges. Up to £35,000 per project Open to researchers globally Requires partnership with at least one non-academic organisation 23 March 2026 at 23:59 UTC +0 Apply online" Flyer with USF logo for the Call for Applications "Urban Urgencies" on a picture of a grafitti via flickr by Julia Tulke and the text "The Urban Studies Foundation is launching a major new grant to support rapid-response collaborative research on the world’s most pressing urban challenges. Up to £35,000 per project Open to researchers globally Requires partnership with at least one non-academic organisation 23 March 2026 at 23:59 UTC +0 Apply online"
December 10, 2025 at 12:30 PM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🌍 New on the #USFBlog!
Former #USFInternationalFellow Michael Osei Asibey reflects on his research into informal e-waste recycling and nature-based solutions for climate resilience, carried out under the mentorship of Patrick Brandful Cobbinah.
👉 ow.ly/cpNl50XExCZ

#NatureBasedSolutions #Ewaste
Flyer with USF logo for the USF Blog "Extending the dialogue of informality, e-waste, and nature-based solutions" and the quote "“While I was aware that informal systems, particularly in waste management, are central to livelihoods in cities like Accra and Kumasi, I had not fully explored their potential to contribute to climate adaptation through ecological approaches. The Fellowship offered me the space, resources, and intellectual community to advance this agenda, and in the process, to situate African urban experiences more centrally within global urban studies debates.” on a picture by Keron Achiaa Flyer with USF logo for the USF Blog "Extending the dialogue of informality, e-waste, and nature-based solutions" and the quote "“While I was aware that informal systems, particularly in waste management, are central to livelihoods in cities like Accra and Kumasi, I had not fully explored their potential to contribute to climate adaptation through ecological approaches. The Fellowship offered me the space, resources, and intellectual community to advance this agenda, and in the process, to situate African urban experiences more centrally within global urban studies debates.” on a picture by Keron Achiaa
December 8, 2025 at 8:30 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🚨 New #USFSeminarSeries event!

"Coproducing a research agenda for responsible and transparent AI-capabilities for decision support in urban governance" (SS25.AI4UG)

📅 “What AI for Urban Governance?”
📍 Suffolk University, Boston
🗓️ 8–10 Dec 2025

🔗 ow.ly/eO2a50XExYO
Flyer with USF logo for the Event "What AI for Urban Governance " and the text "First seminar of the Seminar Series SS25.AI4UG “Coproducing a research agenda for responsible and transparent AI-capabilities for decision support in urban governance” , funded by the Urban Studies Foundation (USF-SSA-250604), aims at promoting an urgently needed transdisciplinary academic debate with academics and urban governance practitioners on the development of a coproduced research agenda for new responsible and transparent AI capabilities for accessible decision support for urban governance. Keynote speakers include: Christopher Zegras, Head of DUSP at MIT Santiago Garcés, CIO, City of Boston" on a ligh blue backround. Flyer with USF logo for the Event "What AI for Urban Governance " and the text "First seminar of the Seminar Series SS25.AI4UG “Coproducing a research agenda for responsible and transparent AI-capabilities for decision support in urban governance” , funded by the Urban Studies Foundation (USF-SSA-250604), aims at promoting an urgently needed transdisciplinary academic debate with academics and urban governance practitioners on the development of a coproduced research agenda for new responsible and transparent AI capabilities for accessible decision support for urban governance. Keynote speakers include: Christopher Zegras, Head of DUSP at MIT Santiago Garcés, CIO, City of Boston" on a ligh blue backround.
December 6, 2025 at 3:25 PM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 Call for Papers now open!

Seminar Two: Civic Academy for Africa’s Future (CiAAF), Cotonou, Benin
📅 16–20 February 2026
Part of the #USFSeminarSeriesAwards "Urban Politics and Negotiated Stateliness: Comparative perspectives across Africa and Eastern Europe"

🔎 CFP (EN/FR): ow.ly/AxLy50XBGig
Flyer with USF logo for the event "Making connections: Learning from Elsewhere, Theorising from Africa" and the text "The workshop in Benin will focus on how tracing connections from African contexts can help to build comparative insights on urban developments there, and how this methodology might be used to expand the conversation between scholars in Africa and Eastern Europe. Deadline: December 31st, 2025 Civic Academy for Africa’s Future (CiAAF), Benin, Cotonou" or a picture taken by the Organizers. Flyer with USF logo for the event "Making connections: Learning from Elsewhere, Theorising from Africa" and the text "The workshop in Benin will focus on how tracing connections from African contexts can help to build comparative insights on urban developments there, and how this methodology might be used to expand the conversation between scholars in Africa and Eastern Europe. Deadline: December 31st, 2025 Civic Academy for Africa’s Future (CiAAF), Benin, Cotonou" or a picture taken by the Organizers.
December 5, 2025 at 7:01 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📘 New Publication!

We’re delighted to share "African Urban Creativity: Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond Cities" — a new edited volume by Lauren England and Estrella Sendra, emerging from a #USFSeminarSeriesAwards.
📖 ow.ly/xGUq50XAJXQ

🔗 Project:
ow.ly/qxsp50XAJXP
USF flyer for the book "African Urban Creativity Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond Cities" Edited By Lauren England, Estrella Sendra and the quote "The edited collection, African Urban Creativity: Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond the Cities, seeks to contribute to understanding creative economies in Africa, specifically the urban dynamics of creativity and the urbanisation of the creative economy. In doing so, it also acknowledges the role of the periphery and rural settings within their inputs and dialogic relation to the city." USF flyer for the book "African Urban Creativity Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond Cities" Edited By Lauren England, Estrella Sendra and the quote "The edited collection, African Urban Creativity: Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond the Cities, seeks to contribute to understanding creative economies in Africa, specifically the urban dynamics of creativity and the urbanisation of the creative economy. In doing so, it also acknowledges the role of the periphery and rural settings within their inputs and dialogic relation to the city."
December 3, 2025 at 8:15 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
✨ USF Blog!

How do young people’s everyday movements shape urban life across Africa & Asia?

In a USF-funded project, Dr Min Tang, Anuj Daga & Dr Ying Cheng explore Cartographies of Care—a Pretoria-based workshop mapping women’s journeys, stories & practices of care.

👉 ow.ly/BSA750Xzblm
Flyer for USF blog with USF logo for the workshop "Cartographies of care: mapping women’s everyday journeys and stories across downtown Pretoria" and the quote “The workshop sought to reimagine mapping as storytelling through the lens of women’s everyday practices of care. Public spaces in South African cities, particularly in downtown Pretoria, continue to be marked by the legacies of apartheid and persistent inequalities. Yet these same spaces are animated by practices of resilience, adaptation, and solidarity. Women’s movements across the city—whether walking, waiting, or making detours—are not only acts of necessity and survival but also crucial forms of care, for themselves and for others“. On a picture by YOTM Team Flyer for USF blog with USF logo for the workshop "Cartographies of care: mapping women’s everyday journeys and stories across downtown Pretoria" and the quote “The workshop sought to reimagine mapping as storytelling through the lens of women’s everyday practices of care. Public spaces in South African cities, particularly in downtown Pretoria, continue to be marked by the legacies of apartheid and persistent inequalities. Yet these same spaces are animated by practices of resilience, adaptation, and solidarity. Women’s movements across the city—whether walking, waiting, or making detours—are not only acts of necessity and survival but also crucial forms of care, for themselves and for others“. On a picture by YOTM Team
December 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 Next week in Melbourne!
On 3–4 Dec. 2025: First workshop of the #USFSeminarSeriesAwards “Walls speak. Are you listening? A research agenda for urban surfaces”
The event features panels, roundtables, site-based work, and concludes with a public event: Urban Visual Dialogues 3. 👉 ow.ly/oZL850Xy6QK
Flyer with USF logo for the event "Urban Visual Dialogues 3: Graffiti, Posters, and Visual Governance in the City " on a picture of Weathered green wooden panels with peeling paint and faded blue tiles, evoking urban decay and visual texture by USRN team. Also, it includes the text: 4 December 2025 (GMT+11) G26 – Biosciences 1 Building, The University of Melbourne, Parkville In Person On 3–4 December 2025, the first workshop of “Walls speak. Are you listening? A research agenda for urban surfaces” brings together 20 scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore how urban surfaces shape communication, governance, and political contestation. Hosted at UniMelb, the event features panels, roundtables, site-based work, and concludes with a public event: Urban Visual Dialogues 3 Flyer with USF logo for the event "Urban Visual Dialogues 3: Graffiti, Posters, and Visual Governance in the City " on a picture of Weathered green wooden panels with peeling paint and faded blue tiles, evoking urban decay and visual texture by USRN team. Also, it includes the text: 4 December 2025 (GMT+11) G26 – Biosciences 1 Building, The University of Melbourne, Parkville In Person On 3–4 December 2025, the first workshop of “Walls speak. Are you listening? A research agenda for urban surfaces” brings together 20 scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore how urban surfaces shape communication, governance, and political contestation. Hosted at UniMelb, the event features panels, roundtables, site-based work, and concludes with a public event: Urban Visual Dialogues 3
November 27, 2025 at 8:15 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🎥 New on the USF Blog!

Dr Telma Hoyler shares insights from her USF-funded project "Democracy on the Ground", where she uses ethnographic filmmaking to co-create "Território" (Territory), available on the USF web.
🔗 Read the full post: ow.ly/gktn50Xt3xm
#UrbanStudies #ParticipatoryResearch
Flyer with USF logo for the launching of the film "Territory" by Dr Telma Hoyler on a picture of the film and the quote "This is a film about elections. But there is no such thing as a film about elections in the abstract. There can only exist a film about a place, a person, a handful of individuals or countless living creatures experiencing elections, with all their diverse reasons, passions, and entanglements. This is how the particular becomes universal, and the general finds its ground. In this sense, this is a film about elections." Flyer with USF logo for the launching of the film "Territory" by Dr Telma Hoyler on a picture of the film and the quote "This is a film about elections. But there is no such thing as a film about elections in the abstract. There can only exist a film about a place, a person, a handful of individuals or countless living creatures experiencing elections, with all their diverse reasons, passions, and entanglements. This is how the particular becomes universal, and the general finds its ground. In this sense, this is a film about elections."
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📚 New publication now available in Spanish!

"Comunidad urbana – Conversaciones entre Berlín y Bogotá" by Talja Blokland and Sandra Pulido-Chaparro (former #USFInternationalFellow) offers an exploration of what “community” means in today’s global urban contexts.

🔗 Learn more: ow.ly/sQXw50Xui6z
Flyer with USF logo for the Book Launch "Comunidad urbana – Conversaciones entre Berlín y Bogotá" by Talja Blokland and Sandra Pulido-Chaparro, and the text "Although community is a central idea in urban studies, it remains conceptually vague and difficult to work with. This book offers an important contribution to clarifying this key notion and theorising it in a globalised world. Urban Community: Conversations Between Berlin and Bogotá highlights the multiple ways of creating bonds and shows what we can contribute from the Global South to debates about cities that, until now, have been shaped by the North. After all, community is an urban practice, not a fixed state of affairs" On an image of the book cover Flyer with USF logo for the Book Launch "Comunidad urbana – Conversaciones entre Berlín y Bogotá" by Talja Blokland and Sandra Pulido-Chaparro, and the text "Although community is a central idea in urban studies, it remains conceptually vague and difficult to work with. This book offers an important contribution to clarifying this key notion and theorising it in a globalised world. Urban Community: Conversations Between Berlin and Bogotá highlights the multiple ways of creating bonds and shows what we can contribute from the Global South to debates about cities that, until now, have been shaped by the North. After all, community is an urban practice, not a fixed state of affairs"
November 20, 2025 at 8:30 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📣 All week!
Join us in Sergipe (Br) for a series of events — part of the #USF-funded project "Urban geographies of carcerality: from Latin America to the Middle East"

🗓️ Panels, workshops, film screenings, a city tour & meetings with activists
🌎 In Portuguese & English

🔗 ow.ly/Xtjs50XtHaO
Flyer with USF logo for the Workshops and Panels on militarization and Carcerality in Sergipe, Brazil. Flyer with USF logo for the Workshops and Panels on militarization and Carcerality in Sergipe, Brazil.
November 18, 2025 at 6:49 PM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🌟 USF Blog!

How can utopian thinking transform urban policy?
Dr Asha L. Abeyasekera shares insights from her #USF_KMA funded project "Home as Hope", where 95 residents of Colombo co-created a powerful Community Manifesto on Housing & Urban Planning.

📝 Read the full story: ow.ly/lC9n50XrGIu
Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog on a picture of a drawing by Asha L. Abeyasekera and the text “The final community manifesto – Colombo is our Home: Reimagining Colombo as Utopia – an Alternative to Relocation – attests to the success of utopian thinking and imaginative play in the form of drawings and dramas for policy discussions with marginalised communities.“ Flyer with USF logo for the USF blog on a picture of a drawing by Asha L. Abeyasekera and the text “The final community manifesto – Colombo is our Home: Reimagining Colombo as Utopia – an Alternative to Relocation – attests to the success of utopian thinking and imaginative play in the form of drawings and dramas for policy discussions with marginalised communities.“
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 Upcoming #USFSeminarSeriesAwards Event

Join the second roundtable of "Phoenix-nomenon of Kharkiv", exploring the deurbanisation and relocation of the Kharkiv School of Architecture and the future revival of the city.

🗓️ 19 Nov | 10:00–14:00 (GMT)
🔗 Info: ow.ly/UIZH50XrsE9

#UrbanStudies #Ukraine
Flyer with USF logo and a picture of Kharkiv School of Architecture for the event "Second Roundtable: PHOENIX-NOMENON OF KHARKIV" USF Seminar Series Awards With the text "This series of roundtables aims is to study the process of deurbanisation of Kharkiv (second biggest city in the north-east of Ukraine, 1,5 million population) in order to understand the current processes and prospects of revival (Phoenix-nomenon) of the multidimensional significance of the city of Kharkiv, namely, what can be the core that can restore the former scientific, academic, cultural, industrial significance of the city" Flyer with USF logo and a picture of Kharkiv School of Architecture for the event "Second Roundtable: PHOENIX-NOMENON OF KHARKIV" USF Seminar Series Awards With the text "This series of roundtables aims is to study the process of deurbanisation of Kharkiv (second biggest city in the north-east of Ukraine, 1,5 million population) in order to understand the current processes and prospects of revival (Phoenix-nomenon) of the multidimensional significance of the city of Kharkiv, namely, what can be the core that can restore the former scientific, academic, cultural, industrial significance of the city"
November 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 This week on the USF Blog!

Dr Cesare Di Feliciantonio, Magdalena Moreno & Dr Gabriella Palermo introduce their #USFSeminarSeriesAwards grant on feminist & queer autonomous urban spaces under authoritarian neoliberalism.

🔗 ow.ly/S7FV50XolP7
#UrbanStudies #FeministGeographies #QueerUrbanism
USF blog flyer for the series "Feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces under authoritarian neoliberalism" on a picture by Magdalena Moreno Wall covered with colorful protest posters and flyers advocating feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces, with the quote "“The aim of the project is to create an international network of activist(s and) scholars working in/with feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces, to share knowledge and practices to navigate the increasing violence of the present, imagine new ‘world-making’ practices (Muñoz 2009) and support each other.” USF blog flyer for the series "Feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces under authoritarian neoliberalism" on a picture by Magdalena Moreno Wall covered with colorful protest posters and flyers advocating feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces, with the quote "“The aim of the project is to create an international network of activist(s and) scholars working in/with feminist and queer autonomous urban spaces, to share knowledge and practices to navigate the increasing violence of the present, imagine new ‘world-making’ practices (Muñoz 2009) and support each other.”
November 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🔔 Hybrid Roundtable!

“Tensions in Policy Learning: Grounding Learning Practices in Urban Southeast Asia”, supported by #USF

The discussion will feature leading urban scholars: Tim Bunnell, Sulfikar Amir, and Daniel Goh.

📅 20 Nov | 4–5:30 PM (GMT+8)
📍 ARI–NUS + Online
🔗 ow.ly/b5ln50XnJMn
Blue background with text announcing a roundtable on tensions in policy learning focused on urban Southeast Asia. Flyer with USF logo and the text "is roundtable discussion explores policy mobility, focusing on Southeast Asia as a producer of knowledge rather than a case study, foregrounding its unique role in shaping global urban debates. By engaging theoretical, methodological, and practical tensions, we highlight how cities negotiate between global best practices and local socio-political realities, underscoring the messy, contested, and multi-scalar nature of policy mobility. To inaugurate the series, join us for a hybrid roundtable discussion featuring leading urban scholars: Prof. Tim Bunnell, Assoc. Prof. Sulfikar Amir, and Assoc. Prof. Daniel Goh." on a blue backround.
November 6, 2025 at 1:13 PM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🌏 New on the USF Blog!

Dr Napong Tao Rugkhapan, Dr Tan Wenn Er & Dr Priza Marendraputra explore the politics of urban policy learning in Southeast Asia — part of their #USFSeminarSeriesAwards project.

🔗 Read more: ow.ly/2z0X50XkY2z

#UrbanStudies #PolicyMobilities #AsianUrbanism
Flyer with USF logo for the Blog "Tension in policy learning" on a picture of Curved wooden walkway over a river with lush greenery and urban buildings under construction in the background in Southeast Asia, by the Authors. And the quote "“In city halls across Southeast Asia, “learning from abroad” has become standard practice. Cue the now-ubiquitous “creative districts,” “smart cities,” and “green urbanism” playbooks – global templates imported off the shelf and quickly rebadged as prestige projects, often more aligned with elite imaginaries than everyday local needs.” Flyer with USF logo for the Blog "Tension in policy learning" on a picture of Curved wooden walkway over a river with lush greenery and urban buildings under construction in the background in Southeast Asia, by the Authors. And the quote "“In city halls across Southeast Asia, “learning from abroad” has become standard practice. Cue the now-ubiquitous “creative districts,” “smart cities,” and “green urbanism” playbooks – global templates imported off the shelf and quickly rebadged as prestige projects, often more aligned with elite imaginaries than everyday local needs.”
November 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
📢 Exciting news!

The Urban Studies Foundation welcomes a new cohort of International Fellows — scholars from Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia & South Africa advancing urban research.

🔗 ow.ly/ae8Z50XjrOu

#UrbanStudies #USFInternationalFellowships #GlobalUrbanism
Text welcoming a new group of USF International Fellows over a background of a rustic building with warm orange walls and windows.
October 29, 2025 at 12:45 PM
urbanstudiesfoundation.org
🏙️ USF Blog!

This week, Dr Georgiana Varna, Dr Michael Crilly & Dr Karina Landman share insights from their project “Co-producing alternative urban futures through experimental urbanism”, funded by a #USFSeminarSeriesAwards grant.

🔗 Read more: ow.ly/3XRZ50Xi74C

#UrbanStudies #ExperimentalUrbanism
Flyer with the USF logo for the USF blog post on a picture by Callum Leslie “We collectively explored and questioned the point, purpose and characteristics of “experimental urbanism”. While there were many ways to classify and organise the different types of experimental projects from scale, location, design or urban form, there were clear procedural steps that many of the presenters followed in their projects from concept / inception to scoping / benchmarking and learning from similar projects prior to delivery and post competition evaluation.” Flyer with the USF logo for the USF blog post on a picture by Callum Leslie “We collectively explored and questioned the point, purpose and characteristics of “experimental urbanism”. While there were many ways to classify and organise the different types of experimental projects from scale, location, design or urban form, there were clear procedural steps that many of the presenters followed in their projects from concept / inception to scoping / benchmarking and learning from similar projects prior to delivery and post competition evaluation.”
October 27, 2025 at 8:30 AM