Centre for Advanced Urbanism

Centre for Advanced Urbanism
Name	Centre for Advanced Urbanism
Established	2010
Type	Research centre
Location	London
Affiliation	The Bartlett, University College London
Director	Marked as rotating faculty

Centre for Advanced Urbanism is an interdisciplinary research centre based in London and affiliated with University College London. It convenes scholars and practitioners from institutions such as The Bartlett, University College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, National University of Singapore and ETH Zurich to explore urban futures. The centre engages with partners including World Bank, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, United Nations Development Programme, Royal Institute of British Architects and Architectural Association School of Architecture on projects spanning design, policy and technology.

History

The centre was inaugurated amid debates following reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and agendas set at summits like the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group meetings. Early collaborations involved academics from Columbia University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University and practitioners from Arup (company), Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Norman Foster, Bjarke Ingels Group and SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill). The centre’s formation intersected with initiatives from UK Research and Innovation, European Commission, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.

Mission and Research Focus

The centre frames its mission in response to global commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 11 and international accords such as the Paris Agreement. Research themes include resilience studied alongside practitioners from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, urban informality referenced with casework from Slum Dwellers International, and migration patterns linked to analyses by International Organization for Migration and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The centre integrates technologies promoted by IBM, Google, Microsoft, Sidewalk Labs and Siemens while examining urban governance exemplified by cities like Singapore, New York City, Mumbai, Shanghai and Cape Town.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Governance draws on academic leadership models from University College London, with advisory input from figures associated with Royal College of Art, London School of Economics, King's College London, Bartlett School of Planning, Harvard Graduate School of Design and MIT Media Lab. Leadership roles rotate among faculty previously linked to Rachel Armstrong (scientist), Sir Peter Hall, Jan Gehl, Rem Koolhaas, Amanda Burden and Koolhaas's OMA-affiliated scholars. Boards have included representatives from Greater London Authority, Homes and Communities Agency, National Trust (United Kingdom), Historic England and corporate partners such as Arup and AECOM.

Major Projects and Initiatives

Notable initiatives include comparative urban labs in partnership with City of London Corporation, pilot programmes with Transport for London, regenerative design experiments with Ecosystem Services Partnership, and climate adaptation trials influenced by reports from IPCC working groups. Case studies span cities such as Lagos, Jakarta, São Paulo, Mexico City and Istanbul and collaborate with municipal agencies like São Paulo Prefeitura, Jakarta Smart City, Mexico City Secretariat of Culture and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The centre also runs design competitions alongside Royal Institute of British Architects, policy labs with OECD, and capacity-building workshops with United Cities and Local Governments.

Publications and Academic Contributions

The centre publishes edited volumes and reports in formats similar to outputs from Routledge, MIT Press, Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature and Elsevier. Journals featuring affiliated research include Journal of Urban Studies, Urban Geography, Landscape and Urban Planning, Cities (journal), Environment and Urbanization and International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Its scholars present at conferences such as World Urban Forum, UIA World Congress of Architects, European Urban Research Association and ICLEI World Congress and contribute chapters to books associated with United Nations Publications and think tanks like Brookings Institution, Chatham House, Royal United Services Institute and Centre for European Policy Studies.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The centre maintains strategic partnerships with universities and organisations including National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, Delft University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano, Technical University of Munich, Curtin University, University of Toronto, McGill University, Australian National University, World Resources Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, ICLEI, C40, UN-Habitat and International Union for Conservation of Nature. Funding collaborations have involved European Research Council, Horizon 2020, UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council and philanthropic partners including Wellcome Trust.

Impact and Criticism

Advocates cite influence on policy discourses observed in reports by UN-Habitat, World Bank Group, OECD, European Environment Agency and C40; practitioners note uptake in projects led by Arup, SOM, Foster + Partners and municipal bodies like Transport for London and Greater London Authority. Critics argue the centre’s work can mirror debates raised around gentrification studies led by scholars at Columbia University and University of California, Los Angeles and echo critiques of technocratic interventions from commentators at The Guardian, Financial Times, The Economist and New York Times. Debates include tensions highlighted in forums hosted by Royal Society and panels at World Economic Forum and academic critiques from contributors to Cityscape and Progress in Planning.

Category:Research institutes in London