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Urban Democracy, Governance and Leadership

Current research projects

  • NextGenC-747x420-delaney-turner-unsplash

    A research and engagement project that aims to explore how youth actors engage in urban governance within intermediary cities, with a specific focus on the role and impact of digital technology in shaping their involvement.


  • Lisbon_747x420

    A research, engagement and capacity building programme on the future of European cities supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.


Completed research projects

  • escalators going up

    This initiative, jointly organised by UCLG, Metropolis and LSE Cities identifies implications for urban governance for addressing global emergencies at the city and regional level. It aims to gather insights on how to build institutional capacities for more effective urban and territorial responses to complex emergencies and the governance of grand challenges.


  • Kuwait6

    A collaboration with Kuwait University to explore the links between urban governance and spatial development.

  • RRR_Pollution_in_karachi

    This project, funded by the British Academy's Urban Infrastructures of Well-Being programme, investigates the need for integrated approaches to solid waste management in Ethiopia and Pakistan.


  • Governing-Infrastructure-Interface-747x420

    Governing Infrastructure Interfaces focuses on transport and sanitation infrastructure in Ethiopia’s two largest cities to investigate the relationship between development goals and the contribution made by new infrastructure.


  • Metropolitan-Indicators-original-747x420

    This collaboration with Metropolis aims to develop a system of comparative indicators and collect the corresponding data for a range of major cities and metropolitan areas.

  • Urban Uncertainty-747x420

    The Urban Uncertainty project was a collaborative investigation into emerging ways of envisioning and governing the future of cities.

  • New Urban Governance

    The New Urban Governance project, co-funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, examined multiple aspects of municipal planning, management, and governance.

  • Resilient-urban-form-and-governance-747x420

    This project analysed how urban places are sustained and developed over time. It explored the adaptability of places to varied contexts of change and uncertainty which shape the evolution of the built city.

  • Habitat III Policy Unit IV

    LSE Cities co-led jointly with UCLG a group of twenty global experts as part of the preparatory process for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).

  • towards-urban-growth-analytics-for-yangon-747x420

    The International Growth Centre's Myanmar office collaborated with LSE Cities on this first step towards developing a more in-depth research programme on urban development in Yangon.

  • Innovation-in-Europe’s-Cities-747x420

    A report by LSE Cities on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2014 Mayors Challenge. LSE Cities provided input to Bloomberg Philanthropies on the political and demographic make-up of selected European cities, and completed an objective assessment of the innovation level shown by the shortlisted proposals.