Situated at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, The Centre for the Just City is an initiative dedicated to advancing social justice in the built environment.
About the Centre
Dedicated to pursuing social justice through the lens of urban development, The Centre for the Just City values academic excellence, diverse thought, and committed action.
Our Journey and Foundations
The Centre for the Just City was founded at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the Delft University of Technology in response to the pressing challenges of rampant social inequalities affecting urban spaces’ cohesion and sustainability.
Recognising the vital need to address these issues, the Centre emerged as a platform for research, education, and outreach activities to create just cities.
Since its inception, the Centre has been at the forefront of bridging theory and practice, fostering collaborations, and influencing policies and actions that contribute to making cities equitable, sustainable, and inclusive.
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
– Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
our values
Equity
We believe in fostering cities and communities where opportunities and resources are distributed fairly, and every individual’s rights and dignity are upheld.
Respect
We are committed to cultivating a culture of mutual respect, recognising and valuing the diversity of perspectives, and encouraging dialogue and understanding.
Excellence
Our commitment to excellence drives our research, education, and outreach efforts, ensuring rigour, innovation, and impact.
Diversity
Embracing diversity in all its forms, we value the plurality of experiences, cultures, and ideas as essential components of creating inclusive and just urban environments.
OUR MISSION: A World in Need of Justice
Social justice is undeniably one of the most pressing challenges facing the world today, as rampant inequality erodes the fabric of our societies everywhere, undermining trust in governments and institutions, leading to violence and extremism and eating at the very core of democracy.
Here at The Centre for the Just City, we believe that cities play a pivotal role in shaping social landscapes. Our mission is to critically engage with the complexities of urban development and cultivate strategies that promote social justice, inclusivity, and sustainability.
Growing inequality, socio-spatial fragmentation, and lack of access to public goods are threats to the sustainability of our cities, especially when sustainability is understood in its three fundamental dimensions (social, economic, and environmental). Social sustainability is underexplored in sustainability studies, and the absence of this dimension in most sustainability study programs means there is an enormous gap to be filled in sustainable urban development.
The Centre for the Just City endeavours to fill this gap. Our work accentuates the importance of social sustainability as the third fundamental pillar, alongside economic and environmental sustainability, in creating harmonious and resilient urban environments.
What we do
Research
Conduct cutting-edge research on the interplay between urban development and social justice.
Education & Training
Offer specialised courses and training programs that emphasise social sustainability in urban development.
Advice
Provide expert advice and consultancy services to governments, NGOs, and private sector entities.
Our Team
Meet the passionate individuals behind The Centre for the Just City. Our diverse team comprises scholars, practitioners, and advocates committed to building just cities.
Associate Professor of Spatial Planning & Strategy
Urban planner, architect, and political scientist, deeply engaged with the social and political dimensions of design.
JULIANA GONÇALVES
Assistant Professor of Spatial Planning & Strategy
Has an interdisciplinary background with expertise in socio-technical systems, urban data science, and policy analysis.
ROBERTO ROCCO
Associate Professor of Spatial Planning & Strategy
Spatial planning scholar focused on justice, governance, sustainability, and democratic urbanism.
HUGO LOPEZ
PhD Candidate, University of Sheffield.
Researcher on Spatial Justice & Urban-Environmental Sustainability.
JOHNATHAN SUBENDRAN
PhD Candidate Urbanism
Trained spatial designer, working across architectural to territorial scales. Currently a Gluon researcher, a new academic role specializing in knowledge integration.
IRENE LUQUE MARTIN
Assistant Professor of Urban Design
With a focus on radical spatial imagination and collaborative design processes, Irene Luque Martín’s work centers on challenging conventional practices.
ADAM PAUL SUSANECK
PhD Candidate Urbanism
Adam is an architect, urbanist, and writer exploring infrastructure, memory, and spatial politics, with a focus on postcolonial and decolonial urban transformations. He leads the project ‘Segregation by Design‘. His current work focuses on the historic and ongoing spatial justice impacts of limited-access highway construction and associated urban renewal programs.
ANDRÉS DAVID MAGLIONE
Researcher, University of Naples Federico II
His work focuses on climate resilience and justice, with a particular interest in the Global South.
ADITI NATARAJAN
PhD Candidate Urbanism
With a keen eye for trends and problem-solving, she drives our team to new heights.
MARH ECHTAI
PhD Candidate Urbanism
Award-winning spatial planner, thriving at the intersection of spatial justice, climate adaptation, and post-conflict recovery.
RUSSELL SMITH
Professor at Winston-Salem State University, NC
His research interests include topics related to spatial justice including: local government boundary change, urban form and the built environment and urban sustainability. He has been selected as a Fulbright Specialist for his expertise and experience in urban planning.
NIMA TABRIZI
Rsearcher and Designer, TU Delft
His research explores spatial justice, socio-ecological urban regeneration, agroecology, and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD).
ESTER CARRO
PhD Candidate (visiting)
Passionate about urban transformation and social impact. My work connects design, architecture, and social innovation, with a focus on decent housing, environmental regeneration, and circular solutions.
Power, Awards, and the Neglected Ground: A Reflection on “Majara” and the Aga Khan Award Nima Tabrizi Architect | Urban Researcher+ Stroller September 4, 2025 Photo: Majara by ZAV Architects [photo by Deed Studio, taken from the.akdn] // A community-oriented layout for what community? My fellow Iranian architects have won the Aga Khan Award. Is…
Registrations open! REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR THE 6th CALL FOR A MANIFESTO FOR THE JUST CITY 2025! REGISTER HERE The Delft University of Technology Centre for the Just City is proud to announce the call for the Manifesto for the Just City workshop, now in its sixth edition. This is an engaging digital lecture and debate series featuring…
feminist & Southern Perspectives 08 OCTOBER 2025 09:30 TILL 10 OCTOBER 2025 15:30 Masterclass with Prof. Faranak Miraftab We are honoured to host Professor Faranak Miraftab (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) for a three-day masterclass during EDI Week 2025. Professor Miraftab is an internationally recognised scholar in feminist planning, transnational urbanism, and the urban consequences of…
We need cities that are life-giving, rather than profit-making.
Professor Faranak miraftab, university of illinois at urbanA champaign, USA.
EXPLORE OUR WEBSITE
Here is a summary of the main current activities being developed by the Centre for the Just City
★★★★★
Manifesto for the Just City
This is a 4-day online workshop in which we explore the multiple dimensions of spatial justice illuminated by four leading academics and practitioners, and invite participants from all over the world to write Manifestos for the Just City from their own contexts and perspectives in groups. You can get more information about this event HERE.
★★★★★
Symposium Benchmarking spatial justice
The Symposium on Benchmarking Spatial Justice aims to foster discussions and exchange of knowledge regarding the measurement and evaluation of spatial justice in policymaking, planning and urban design. The symposium will be held on NOV 30th at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the Delft University of Technology. You can get more information about this event HERE.
★★★★★
UP2030 URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN READY FOR 2030
UP2030 is a Horizon Europe project that aims to support cities in driving the socio-technical transitions required to meet their climate neutrality targets by leveraging urban planning and design. Within the project city stakeholders and local authorities will be supported and guided to put neutrality on the map of their communities in day-to-day actions and strategic decisions. You can get more information about this project HERE.
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