Ongoing projects:- 15minESTATES: Co-creating Spatial Strategies for Just and Sustainable Mobility in Large-Scale Housing Estates- DUST: Democratizing Just Sustainability Transitions (http://dustproject.eu)

I worked as a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield. I carried out a three-year research project on social justice and urban air pollution management, with case studies on the low emission zones in London and Brussels.

I worked on the ERC funded five-year research project "Toxic Expertise: Environmental Justice & the Global Petrochemical Industry", which offered the first systematic sociological analysis of the global petrochemical industry in relation to corporate social responsibility and environmental justice.I carried out a spatial and social corporate network analysis of the world's largest petrochemical corporations using a company dataset and network analysis software, and I performed a residents'… Show more I worked on the ERC funded five-year research project "Toxic Expertise: Environmental Justice & the Global Petrochemical Industry", which offered the first systematic sociological analysis of the global petrochemical industry in relation to corporate social responsibility and environmental justice.I carried out a spatial and social corporate network analysis of the world's largest petrochemical corporations using a company dataset and network analysis software, and I performed a residents' survey on risk perception of the petrochemical complex in the port of Antwerp (Belgium). Show less

For five months I was Secretary of DKA (Denktank Klimaatadaptatie Vlaanderen - Think Tank Climate Adaptation Flanders; http://dka.ugent.be), a scientific platform consisting of different universities, public authorities, companies and interest groups. I organized meetings and bilateral consultations with the partners, wrote reports based on their information and communicated about the activities.

My PhD research focused on the relation between environmental health and urban planning, and on finding the appropriate strategies to incorporate health concerns in urban planning practice. In my dissertation I argued for redefining environmentally unhealthy situations by applying a spatial justice perspective, and I tried to find new adaptive and collaborative planning strategies by applying a complexity perspective. To verify how these academic and theoretical insights could be used in… Show more My PhD research focused on the relation between environmental health and urban planning, and on finding the appropriate strategies to incorporate health concerns in urban planning practice. In my dissertation I argued for redefining environmentally unhealthy situations by applying a spatial justice perspective, and I tried to find new adaptive and collaborative planning strategies by applying a complexity perspective. To verify how these academic and theoretical insights could be used in practice, I developed an empirical research methodology consisting of interviews, documentary analysis, spatial data analysis and a residents' survey.I attained my PhD degree in February 2017, with the dissertation titled "Living Cities: Reconnecting Environmental Health and Urban Planning". Show less

I worked for six years as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the Centre for Mobility and Spatial Planning at Ghent University. In this role I could dedicate 50% of my time to my PhD research (see above). The other 50% of my time was used for teaching assignments, thesis supervision, assisting in the day-to-day activities of the research group (e.g. co-writing research proposals and tenders), organizing conferences and seminars and contributing to other research projects.

I worked for two and a half years as student and contract researcher on several projects at the Centre for Mobility and Spatial Planning (AMRP) and the Urbanism Lab (Labo Stedenbouw) at Ghent University. At AMRP the research projects focused on urbanization and transformation of the Flemish countryside, on behalf of the Flemish Government and the Flemish Land Agency (VLM). Research methods consisted of quantitative spatial data analysis, field study and policy documents analysis. At Labo… Show more I worked for two and a half years as student and contract researcher on several projects at the Centre for Mobility and Spatial Planning (AMRP) and the Urbanism Lab (Labo Stedenbouw) at Ghent University. At AMRP the research projects focused on urbanization and transformation of the Flemish countryside, on behalf of the Flemish Government and the Flemish Land Agency (VLM). Research methods consisted of quantitative spatial data analysis, field study and policy documents analysis. At Labo Stedenbouw I was involved as a GIS analyst in an Interreg research project on heritage landscapes. Show less