Research Themes

Cities are a unique concentration of human opportunities and challenges. Understanding these opportunities and challenges requires the understanding of cities, and of processes unfolding in cities. The Centre’s research agenda is focused on global challenges of urban sustainable development including questions of economic prosperity and equity, social inclusion and citizenship, environmental sustainability and urban metabolism, housing, transportation, planning and governance. The Centre is naturally embedded in the Amsterdam urban region but its research programs reach across the world, particularly in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe.

The following research themes and topics are covered by Centre for Urban Studies research. Find CUS members with expertise on these via the pages below.

Housing, Inequality & Space

• Gentrification and Segregation
• Housing
• Social Exclusion & Inequality
• Urban Dynamics

Economies & Technologies

• Smart City
• Urban Economy

Mobility, Transport & Public Space

• Transport Planning
• Urban Migration
• Urban Mobility
• Public Space

Governance, Planning & Experimentation

• Spatial Planning
• Urban Governance
• Urban Experimentation

Environments & Communities

• Urban Communities & Neighbourhoods
• Families and Health
• Urban Environment

Diversity, Politics & Space

• Urban Diversity: Gender, Sexuality, Class & Culture
• Social Movements
• Urban Politics
• Urban Identities
• Urban Conflicts
• Urban Security

Cross-cutting Themes

• Urban Theory
• Urban Data Analytics

This Urban Studies research is carried out by our researchers working within the following programme groups.