Why we built the Amsterdam School of Planning website
At the Urban Planning Research Group at the University of Amsterdam’s Geography, Planning and International Development Studies program, we’ve taken an important step by building our own website: the Amsterdam School of Planning. More than just an information hub, this platform represents a crucial part of our identity as a school of thought—a collective that brings together diverse academic traditions and disciplines, united by a common mission.
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A school of thought with diverse roots
The name Amsterdam School of Planning was chosen because our work is more than a department or program—it’s a way of thinking about cities, change, and justice. Urban planning at UvA draws its strength from a rich foundation in the social and spatial sciences, but also from the interconnectedness of these fields with disciplines like critical mobility studies, environmental studies, and governance studies. Our work crosses academic boundaries, weaving together insights from sociology, political ecology, political economy, systems theory, and mobility studies, among others.
At the core of our inquiry is a driving question:
How can planning contribute to the governance of and understanding the change towards socially and ecologically just cities?
This question shapes all that we do, and it reflects a planning approach that is not only deeply embedded in the social sciences—sociology, political science, law, economics, anthropology, and geography—but also open to cross-fertilization with the natural sciences (like ecology), engineering, and the arts and humanities. This interdisciplinary approach allows us to examine urban issues from multiple perspectives, creating a comprehensive understanding of cities in flux and the planning systems that seek to shape them.
Co-creating new ideas and practices
At the Amsterdam School of Planning, we don’t see planning as a top-down exercise in control, but as a collaborative and creative process. Our aim is to co-create ideas, projects, and new imaginaries with a broad range of partners: policy makers, scientists, and grassroots movements. We believe that through these collaborations, we can produce innovative solutions to the pressing urban challenges of our time, especially in the pursuit of socially and ecologically just cities.
Geographically, our research takes an international comparative perspective, allowing us to critically examine local planning practices through a global lens. We believe that by combining activism and action research with policy advocacy, we can generate new insights into urban governance and systems while prompting critical reflection on existing institutions. By situating local knowledge within broader global debates, we aim to challenge and expand the boundaries of what planning can achieve.
Experimenting with new approaches to planning
A key focus of our work is to prefigure different ways of doing planning. This means that we don’t just theorize about new approaches; we actively experiment with them. We use methods like living labs, action research, and prototype creation to test ideas and generate practical solutions. Through these educational research practices, we aim to push the boundaries of conventional planning while providing valuable, real-world examples of how alternative approaches can lead to better outcomes for cities and their inhabitants.
Why we built this website
We decided to create the Amsterdam School of Planning website to communicate who we are, what we stand for, and what we produce as a research group. While our work is represented within institutional platforms, we felt the need for a more flexible, independent space where we could not only disseminate our findings but also engage with broader audiences about the role of urban planning in the 21st century.
Our website serves as a platform to:
Share our research findings:
We aim to make our work more accessible to both the academic community and the public. Here, we’ll post updates on our projects, publications, and collaborations.
Showcase our profile:
The website helps us define what makes the Amsterdam School of Planning unique. It gives insight into our research interests, the methods we use, and the partners we work with.
Highlight our collective contribution to urban planning:
As a collective, we contribute new knowledge, ideas, and critiques to the academic world of urban planning. Our focus on action research, policy advocacy, and international comparisons sets us apart as a group that not only studies planning but actively works to reshape it.
Inspiring a new generation of planners
In a rapidly changing world, it’s more important than ever to understand how urban planning can guide cities towards a more just and sustainable future. Through the Amsterdam School of Planning website, we hope to spark new conversations, foster collaborations, and inspire a new generation of planners who are ready to take on these challenges.
We invite you to explore our work and join us on this journey. Stay connected with us, engage with our research, and help us imagine new futures for our cities.