The Governance Cluster explores the dynamics of urban and regional spatial change, focusing on the intersection of regulatory transformations and property investment dynamics. This cluster hosts UGoveRN (Urban Governance Research Network), an international network of scholars and researchers committed to advancing the field of urban and regional governance.
Tuna Taşan-Kok
Professor, Research Group Leader, University of Amsterdam
UGoveRN
UGoveRN’s mission is to drive innovation and change by supporting and creating pioneering urban governance research. Its research centers around four key themes: urban planning, property markets, spatial regulation, and law and policy. UGoveRN’s interdisciplinary approach brings together expertise from urban planning, public administration, law, and real estate, fostering a comprehensive understanding of governance dynamics. More information can be found on the UGoveRN website.
The relations between these actors are regulated through institutions, which can be formal such as planning regulations, laws, policy instruments, etc., or informal/casual like norms and principles, oral agreements, collective social activities, community efforts, etc. The institutional context is defined by these relations, and they change continuously.
Urban planning provides a platform to connect the diverse efforts of the state, market, and community actors to influence and rethink this continuous change. Reading the institutional context is important for urban planners as it enables them to understand:
the political, economic, or societal challenges and opportunities;
shape, influence, and rethink the ongoing efforts; and
learn from these experiences to meet the needs of the urban society to create transformative practices.
Our program
Not only does our program enable students to understand the institutional context through which a diverse range of city building activities occur, it also motivates them to rethink the context through which the relationship between the built environment, nature and society is continuously reshaped.
Governance projects
Governance posts
