Decoding urban power: How property investors use market intelligence channels to shape our cities

Understanding how cities are shaped today requires more than a focus on planning policies or municipal agendas. Behind the scenes, a complex and often opaque world of property investors is actively influencing urban development, not only by where they place their capital, but also by how they mobilize knowledge. In her recent article, Tuna Taşan-Kok opens a window into this world by examining how “market intelligence” channels help property actors form alliances, build trust, and steer city governance in her new article published by European Urban and Regional Studies.

At the heart of the study lies a central concept: property-market intelligence. This pertains not only to raw data on prices or demographic trends but also to the knowledge infrastructure, networks, research platforms, consultancy services, and professional events through which this data is processed, interpreted, and utilized to inform decisions, and establish network connections. Importantly, these intelligence channels are not neutral: they structure who gets access to which knowledge, who gets a seat at the decision-making table, and ultimately, how urban space is governed.

Taşan-Kok argues that property investors don’t just consume knowledge, they co-produce it. They invest in data providers, hire in-house analysts, attend industry fairs, join elite knowledge platforms like the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and participate in professional forums where planning and market logics are negotiated. These activities allow them to reduce risk, gain credibility, and build coalitions. In short, market intelligence becomes a collective asset and a strategic tool.

She identifies three main types of intelligence channels:

Together, these channels form the architecture through which governance is increasingly mediated, not in municipal halls, but in data dashboards, webinars, and networking events. While city officials also participate in these forums, the balance of power often favors well-resourced investors who can shape the agenda through evidence-backed lobbying and expert discourse.

The Amsterdam case provides a striking illustration. Known for its planning tradition, Amsterdam has increasingly shifted toward a market-led governance model, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis. This transition has been accompanied by a growing reliance on market-intelligence networks, which help foreign and domestic investors navigate local regulations and even shape new ones. Organizations like Holland Metropole institutionalize these connections, making it easier for private actors to influence urban norms under the guise of data-driven decisions.

What emerges from Taşan-Kok’s analysis is a compelling picture of the strategic-relational nature of urban governance: investors gain influence not only by owning assets but by shaping the very knowledge that governs them. Cities are no longer just planned, they are interpreted, analyzed, and co-produced through intelligence infrastructures.

For scholars, planners, and civic actors, this raises critical questions: Who controls the production of urban knowledge? How can public institutions balance the technical expertise of investors with democratic accountability? And most importantly, can transparency and equity be built into these intelligence networks, rather than merely around them?

As cities face growing challenges, from housing crises to climate adaptation, understanding the hidden infrastructures of market intelligence will be key to imagining more just and inclusive urban futures.