I am Professor of Urban Governance and Planning at the UvA Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Research Group Leader of the Urban Planning Group at Department of Geography, Planning, and International Development Studies at UvA. I chair UGoveRN (Urban Governance Research Network), which is a research platform I founded within the framework of the Urban Planning Group at UvA. I am also the Chair of IJURR Foundation, which provides scholarships to Ph.D. researchers with the surplus generated by the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.
I am an urban social geographer and planner. I graduated from the Department of City and Regional Planning at Dokuz Eylul University of Izmir cum laude. I completed a M.Sc. in Regional Planning at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey 1996. Being awarded by Turkish, Polish, and Hungarian scientific funds, I worked as a research fellow at the Polish and Hungarian Academy of Sciences until 2000. I received a PhD in Social Geography on the topic of 'Budapest, Istanbul, and Warsaw: Institutional and Spatial Change' from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, under the supervision of Prof.Dr. Jan van Weesep in 2004. During my PhD, I was awarded a FURS (Foundation for Urban and Regional Research) Grant and a SYLFF (The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund) Grant. Subsequently, I took up researcher and lectureship positions at the Universities of Leuven (2005-2007), TU Delft, OTB Research for the Built Environment (2007-2015), and University College Roosevelt (2011-2014), before taking up my current position in the Department of Human Geography, Urban Planning and International Development at the UvA in September 2015.
My research focuses on regulation of urban development and change from different angles, on themes of urban governance, property-led urban development dynamics, and spatial organisation through social relations. I'm specifically interested in involvement of diverse actors and regulation of their interests in specific projects, processes and developments in cities. I have initiated, coordinated, and implemented several internationally and locally funded research projects and have attracted significant research funding including a prestigious multi-million EU grant (FP7 project DIVERCITIES), for which she was one of the scientific co-coordinators. My current research funding is approaching €8 million, of which more than € 1.8 million is directly generated for the academic organisations I worked for. I am currently the scientific coordinator of a ORA (Open Research Area for the Social Sciences) funded research project (WHIG), which is on residential investment landscapes and the governance and regulation of housing productionAs a consortium lead by Prof.Dr. Mike Raco (UCL) with the contribution of myself and Prof.Dr.Patrick Le Gales (Sciences Po, Paris) we will explore the complex governance landscapes created by property investment markets in Amsterdam, London and Paris for the next 3 years. Recently I completed a jointly funded (NWO-ESRC-FAPESP) research project (PARCOUR) as the scientific co-coordinator. PARCOUR (Public Accountability to Residents in Contractual Urban Redevelopment) focuses on the extent to which, and how, governance forms, associated with the use of contractual approaches in regeneration projects dealing with previously developed land, impact on inequalities and the implications for sustainable urban development. We argue that public accountability may decline where regulatory arrangements involve the private sector as a facilitator of the regeneration of previously developed urban land. This may undermine the authority of public agencies and residents’ interests and thus affect sustainable urban development negatively. DIVERCITIES (Governing Urban Diversity: Creating social cohesion, social mobility and economic performance in today’s hyperdiversified cities) project, which is funded by European Commission in 2013 (see: http://www.urbandivercities.eu/) is examining the relationships between urban policy and diversity in European cities. The principal aim of this project is to provide evidence for the range of social and socio- outcomes that may emerge from greater urban diversity, particularly its positive aspects, and to document and highlight the significant role that urban policy and local governance arrangements can play in developing and stimulating those positive outcomes. My research within DIVERCITIES project focuses on the case of Toronto. Other recent project, Sustainable Land Use Policies for Resilient Cities (SUPER-CITIES), financed by Urban-Net (European funds, national NICIS organisation) has examined the adaptive governance system in the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and Portugal.
Designed, taught and coordinated coursesUniversity of Amsterdam (UvA)2022- Contemporary Urban Transformations (pervious Advanced Urban Studies), M.Sc. course (12 ECTS), taught in Research Master URban Studies program 2019-2022 Building the City, BA Course (12 ECTS), taught in Urban Planning BA Program 2016- Contemporary Approaches in Property-led Planning, M.Sc. course (6 ECTS), taught in Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program 2016-Sept.- Introduction to Urban Planning (Inleiding in de Plannologie), BA course (12 ECTS), taught in Urban Planning BA Program |
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2016-2017 |
Regulation, Actors and Instruments of Urban Planning (Regelgeving, Actoren en Instrumenten van Stedelijke Planning), BA Course (12ECTS), taught in BA in Social Geography and Planning (Sociale Geografie en Planologie). |
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2015-November |
Contemporary Approaches in Property-Led Urban Planning (Replaced the course ‘Urban Planning and Real Estate’), Master Course (6 ECTS), taught in MSc in Urban and Regional Planning Programme, Graduate school of Social Sciences. |
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Utrecht University, University College Roosevelt |
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2012- 2012- |
The Political Economy and Governance of Cities (BA course for 300 level) Urban Geography: Urbanization and Cities of the Advanced Economies (BA course for 200 level) |
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2011- |
Introduction to Human Geography (BA course in 100 level) |
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2011- |
Designed, developed and implemented the Human Geography Track in Social Sciences Department of Utrecht University, University College Roosevelt. |
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2011 |
Introduction to Urban Studies (BA course for 100, 200 and 300 level), Utrecht University, University College Roosevelt. |
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2010 |
Origins of urbanism and the process of urbanization (CRP 105-Must course for first year BA students), Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. |
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2010 |
Planning Studio VII (CRP 405-Must course for fourth year BA students), Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey |
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Invited guest lectures |
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2013-February |
Invited guest lecturer University College Roosevelt (UCR), Human-Rights City: A Geographers Perspective in SSC 332 Human Rights Cities: An Undergraduate Research Seminar. |
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2013-April |
Invited guest lecturer University College Utrecht (UCU), Understanding the entrepreneurial city: Dynamics and challenges of property-led urban development. |
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Since 2013-April |
Invited guest professor for EMSDP (European Master of Spatial Development and Planning) master program (Catholic University of Leuven) on Property-led urban development |
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2013-May |
Invited guest lecturer, University of Utrecht, Department of Social Geography and Planning, Istanbul: A world city with strong local resources and dynamics |
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2013-October |
Invited guest professor, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism (Complex Cities Studio), on Resilience thinking and new planning approaches |
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2013-November |
Invited guest professor, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism (Complex Cities Studio), on Sustainability and Resilience |
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2013-December |
DIVERCITIES Masterclass (with Ayda Eraydin) on Resilience Thinking in Urban Planning, Istanbul, Turkey |
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2012-October |
Invited guest professor, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism (Complex Cities Studio), on Resilience thinking and new planning approaches |
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2012-September |
Invited guest lecturer, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism (Complex Cities Studio), on Resilience thinking and new planning approaches (repeats each semester) |
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2012-May |
Invited guest lecturer, University College Utrecht (UCU), Understanding the entrepreneurial city: Dynamics and challenges of property-led urban development |
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2012-April |
Invited guest professor, for EMSDP master program (Catholic University of Leuven) on Property-led urban development |
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2012-March |
Invited guest professor for EMSDP master program (Catholic University of Leuven) on Property-led urban development (repeats each semester), Leuven, Belgium |
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2011-May |
Invited guest lecturer at University College Utrecht lecture (SSC 241 Urban Studies) organized by Jan van Weesep - Role of property market actors in city marketing and urban development, The Netherlands |
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2010-May |
Invited guest lecturer at University College Utrecht lecture (SSC 241 Urban Studies) organized by Jan van Weesep - Role of property market actors in city marketing and urban development |
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2009-May |
Invited guest lecturer at University College Utrecht lecture (SSC 241 Urban Studies) organized by Jan van Weesep - Role of property market actors in urban development |
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2009-May |
Invited guest lecturer at World Cities and Urban Systems lecture organized by Brian Douchet (Utrecht University, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geosciences)-Istanbul: A global city with local resources |
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2008-July |
Invited guest professor at IP-Intensive Programme of European Spatial Planning Network hosted by the Bicocca University in Milan |
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2008-May |
Invited guest lecturer at World Cities and Urban Systems lecture organized by Ronald van Kempen (Utrecht University, Urban and Regional Research Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geosciences)- Istanbul: A global city with local resources |
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2008-March |
Invited guest lecturer at Strategic Planning Masters Course (organized by Louis Albrechts) -Property development and planning |
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2007-May |
Invited key note speaker at Izmir City Congress (organized by the Association of Architects and Urban Planners) |
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2007-March |
Invited guest lecturer at Strategic Planning Masters Course (organized by Louis Albrechts) -Property development and planning |
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Supervision of students |
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Promoted PhD students |
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2012-2014
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Co-supervision of Aleksandra Djurasovic (Haven Universiteit, Hamburg) Supervisor: Prof.Dr. Joerg Knieling, Topic: From a planning doctrine towards development strategy approach: The case of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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Ongoing PhD students |
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2014- |
Co-promoter of Maarten Desmet (TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) Promoter: Willem Korthals Altes, Topic: Gross National Happiness for Urban Planning |
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2014- | Co-promoter of Igor Pessoa (TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) Promoter: Willem Korthals Altes, Topic: Creating urban resilience: the development of coping mechanisms for Brazilian fragmented metropolitan systems | |||
2013-2015 |
Co-supervision of Donya Ahmadi (TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) Supervisor: Willem Korthals Altes, Topic: Planning for Hyper-diversity Co-supervision of Ceren Sezer (TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) Supervisor: Vincent Nadin, Topic: A Spatial Analysis of the Role of Visibility in Recognition of Cultural Minorities |
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2005-2007 |
PhD daily advisor of 5 PhD students within the SP2SP project at KULeuven (3 promoted) | |||
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MSc/MA thesis supervision and second readership |
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2016 |
Supervisor of Aurelien Reynolds for MSc Thesis ‘How is Public Interest Communicated in Place Branding? Zuidas and De Hallen, Big city projects in Amsterdam’ |
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2016 |
Supervisor of Arik Day for MSc Thesis ‘Social Innovation and ‘Community Governance’ in the Neoliberal City: Critical Success Factors?’ |
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2016 |
Supervisor of Solange Williams for MSc Thesis ‘The Flexible Planner: Adaption & Transition of Urban Planners in Practice’ |
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2016 |
Supervisor of Joris van den Boom for MSc Thesis ‘Changing Face of Self-Build City’ |
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2016 |
Supervisor of Lola Dirkx for MSc Thesis ‘Temporary Spaces’ |
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2016 |
Second Reader for 5 MSc thesis |
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2015
2010 |
Supervisor of Eva Gaaf for MSc Thesis ‘Governance of Flood resiliency in urban area development: The influence of institutional landscape on the performance of policy instruments in stimulating collaborative action by urban actors in flood resilient development, a comparative study of Rotterdam and New York City Supervisor of 2 Master students at Department of City and Regional Planning, Ankara, Turkey |
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BA thesis supervision |
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2010-2013 |
Supervisor of 1 Honors Thesis and 2 IRPs (Independent Research Project-BA thesis) students at University College Roosevelt, University of Utrecht |
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Guest students |
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2015-January to June |
Supervision of Guest PhD Student Yasin Bektas (TUBITAK Scholar) (Does social-mix policy create social interaction among neighbors? The Kolenkitbuurt case, Amsterdam) |
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2014-2015 |
Supervision of post-doc (TUBITAK Scholar) Dr. Esin Ozdemir (How does the Planning Institution Accommodate Citizens’ Disagreement with Urban Policies and Practices in Different Contexts: The Case of the Netherlands and Turkey) |
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2015- |
Supervision of post-doc (TUBITAK Scholar) Dr. Mehmet Penpecioglu (From public-oriented collaborative scholarship to market-dominated instrumental practice? Investigating the Engagement of Planning Education and Practice) |