Publications

This publication proposes an integrated framework for understanding how urban development outcomes are shaped by the interaction between land governance, institutional structures, decision-making processes, public finance, and private investment. It explores how fragmented governance and limited institutional capacity influence how decisions are made and implemented, shaping territorial outcomes. The work aims to bridge urban practice and economic thinking through a place-based political economy perspective.

Patricia Gimenez Franco +1 team 2026 · 50 pages

The publication explores a question that is becoming increasingly important for cities worldwide: how can urban planning help create the conditions for stronger human connection, belonging and everyday social interaction? It examines that relationship through three interconnected lenses: urban scale, mobility and regenerative placemaking, across international case studies from Dublin, Rotterdam, Toronto, India and Cairo.

Milena Ivkovic +3 team 2026 · 67 pages

This article explores land as the critical interface between urban policy and economic reality, examining how land governance, infrastructure decisions, public finance, institutional capacity and market dynamics interact to shape what ultimately happens on the ground. Lead Author: Patricia Gimenez Franco, Mentor (Asunción, Paraguay). Collaborator: Yoana Pirotska, Mentee (Bulgaria / Spain).

Patricia Gimenez Franco +1 team 2026 · 15 pages

Why do similar urban policies work well in some cities, but lead to fragmented implementation, speculative pressure, or unintended territorial effects in others? This article examines that question by looking beyond policy design itself. It argues that urban outcomes are shaped by how policies interact with territorial conditions, governance systems, institutional capacity, stakeholder incentives, and market dynamics.

Patricia Gimenez Franco +0 team 2026 · 20 pages

Repositioning the profession for SDG 11, the New Urban Agenda and the Planning Guidelines, towards 2030 and beyond. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning, this article asks a critical question: why are global urban frameworks widely accepted, yet still not fully embedded in the institutions, systems and everyday practices that shape cities? Published in collaboration with ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners.

Frank Dhondt +5 team 2026 · 73 pages

An insight article on how the urban code translates a territorial vision into repeatable street conditions and how Al Ahsa verifies that structure at the scale of the street. Developed by Mentor Gabriela Fontanals and Mentee Ghadeer Alaliwie, the article explores a challenge that sits at the heart of contemporary city-making: cities are often delivered through separate projects, actors and phases, but streets must ultimately function as one continuous urban system.

Gabriela Fontanals +1 team 2026 · 12 pages

At the heart of this publication is a simple but urgent message: cities cannot be planned in silos. Housing, mobility, land, infrastructure, climate adaptation, public space, finance, governance and social inclusion are deeply interconnected. Towards Resilient Urban Planning Systems explores how systems thinking can help us move beyond isolated interventions and instead understand the relationships, feedback loops, institutions and governance structures that shape urban development as a whole. Developed through the collaboration of CITIES FORUM and Institute for Urban Excellence.

Didier Vancutsem +7 team 2026 · 81 pages