About
Ben Rogers joined LSE Cities as Distinguished Policy Fellow in 2021. His main interests are in urban life and urban government, the built environment, citizenship and democracy.
Prior to joining LSE, Ben founded the Centre for London think tank in 2011 and led its growth to an influential authority on London policy, with an international following. He was Professor of Practice, London, at the University of London, 2021-26.
Ben was a member of the London Finance Commission, among other commissions, and is author of many reports on cities, citizenship, public service reform and the built environment. He was an Associate Director at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) for five years and has worked in local and central government, including a year spent as a team leader at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, working on planning, urban design and quality of place.
At LSE, Ben is a Research Director on the Bloomberg LSE European Cities Leadership Initiative, researching the barriers and enablers of city government innovation, and Co-Director of the Bloomberg Mayoral Strategy Authority programme, building the capacity of a new generation of English regional mayors.
Ben has a doctorate on Blaise Pascal from Oxford, has written and broadcast widely, and is the author of several acclaimed books, including Blaise Pascal (Orion), A J Ayer, A Life (Chatto) and Beef and Liberty (Chatto). He is currently writing a book on the past, present and future of urban citizenship for Princeton University Press.
Ben has been Chair of Design South East and Acting Chair of the Yard Theatre, among other voluntary roles.