Our Research
At the Institute for Urban Research, we explore the complexities of urban life through interdisciplinary and critical perspectives. Our research is driven by a commitment to urban justice, with a focus on understanding the social, spatial, cultural, political, and ecological dimensions of cities. We work across academic boundaries to generate knowledge that speaks not only to scholars but also to practitioners, policymakers, and communities.
To deepen and structure our work, we organize our research around four interrelated themes: Urban Humanities, Global Urbanism, Housing and Welfare, and Green and Just Cities. These themes reflect both the diversity of urban experiences and the urgent challenges that cities face today—from housing crises and ecological transitions to cultural expressions and global inequalities.
Together, these research areas support our mission to contribute to inclusive, sustainable, and just urban futures.
Urban Humanities
Urban Humanities is an emerging theme within the Institute for Urban Research (IUR). Through urban humanities, the IUR develops expertise in interpreting and engaging with urban space by fostering collaboration among the humanities, environmental design, and urban communities. This approach promotes a form of scholarship that is inherently pedagogical, generating…
Global Urbanism
Global Urbanism aims to explore the heterogeneity/diversity of urban conditions, practices and experiences in different geographical locations. It aims to highlight how contemporary urban theorization reflects (or fails to reflect) this diversity. The theme challenges assumed urban hierarchies and highlights urban practices outside the mainstream state-led and market-led frameworks, particularly…
Housing and Welfare
The housing crisis has emerged as one of the most pressing societal challenges in recent decades. Global organizations—including the UN, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, and the IMF—along with national policymakers, housing experts, and researchers, widely acknowledge the severity of this crisis. Rapidly growing regions face acute housing…
Green and Just Cities
Green and Just Cities is a new theme within the IUR which aims to highlight and contribute to a deeper understanding of the physical geographical and ecological dimensions of urban justice. The theme provides a bridge between urban studies and environmental studies by examining the multiple ways the natural and…
