I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam.

My research focuses on green industrial policies—examining how governments plan and regulate the transition to low-carbon economies, and how these policies relate to justice and social inequality. Through interpretative and qualitative approaches, I connect analyses of global regulatory frameworks with in-depth case studies of planning practices and social relations.

After decades of deregulation, the Paris Agreement encouraged governments to begin planning for low-carbon economies, bringing spatial planning to the forefront of societal and academic discussion. My interdisciplinary background—spanning planning, geography, sociology, and law—gives me a distinctive lens to study these processes. 

I have been involved in two major international research projects. The first, funded by Horizon Europe (BOLSTER, 2022-2025), examines how the European Green Deal involves and affects marginalized communities through just transition policies. This resulted in an edited volume analyzing just transition policies across European regions (Stapper et al, 2025), as well as policy briefs that have been discussed by the OECD and replicated by NGO Bankwatch across multiple European countries. The second project, funded by a Dutch NWO Starter Grant (2023-ongoing), conducts a socio-legal analysis of large-scale climate plans and green industrial planning in the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. Through this work, I have conducted over 50 interviews with high-level actors in East Asia, broadening my understanding of how sustainability and justice are conceptualized across different contexts.

My work demonstrates that legal principles such as sustainability and justice are politically contested and materially embedded arenas. I have published a monograph integrating spatial planning, socio-legal studies, and political sociology to show how law is shaped by morality and politics in cities (Stapper, 2025). In the future, I will apply this theoretical framework to the global struggle over green industries.  My research is recognized internationally, evidenced by visiting scholarships at New York University, Waseda University, and Korea University, and invited talks across disciplines, including climate law, international politics, policy studies, and economics.