Professor Ali Madanipour
Ali Madanipour is Professor of Urban Design at Newcastle University (UK) and an internationally recognized scholar in urban planning, design, and social inclusion. His research examines how cities evolve through the interaction of spatial organization, social processes, and time — with a particular focus on developing more inclusive and sustainable urban environments.
Ali Madanipour has studied (MArch, PhD), practised, researched, and taught architecture, urban design and planning, winning design and research awards, and working with academic and municipal partners from around the world. His work has been translated into French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Persian and Spanish. His visiting positions include the City of Vienna Senior Visiting Professor at the Technical University of Vienna, the Wits-Claude Leon Distinguished Scholar at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic of Milan.
Professor Madanipour’s work explores the social production of space, analyzing how design practices intersect with social structures and power relations to shape everyday urban life. He has contributed extensively to international debates on public space, urban regeneration, social inclusion, and the authenticity of urban environments in an era of globalization.
His publications address key themes such as authenticity and urbanism, interstitial spaces, urban design and society, dynamic multiplicity, and rethinking public space. Among his influential works are Design of Urban Space, Public Space: The Management Dimension, Seeing the City, and numerous journal articles that have significantly shaped contemporary urban theory and practice.
Prof. Dr. L.G. (Ina) Horlings
Prof. Dr. Ina Horlings is Full Professor of Socio-Spatial Planning at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Her work lies at the intersection of spatial planning, sustainability transitions, and community engagement, focusing on how values and collective agency can drive transformative change toward more resilient and just regions.
Professor Horlings is internationally recognized for her research on place-based development and the role of citizens, professionals, and policymakers in co-creating sustainable futures. She explores how local actors can shape spatial transformations through participatory planning processes that emphasize meaning-making, empowerment, and social learning.
Her academic contributions include numerous publications on topics such as transformative planning, relational approaches to sustainability, energy transitions, and leadership for socio-spatial change. As a keynote speaker, Prof. Horlings brings a deeply human perspective to planning—highlighting how emotional connections to place and shared values can foster long-term commitment to sustainable development.
Through her teaching, research leadership, and involvement in European projects on territorial governance and climate adaptation, Prof. Horlings continues to inspire both scholars and practitioners to rethink planning not only as a technical process but as a collective endeavor grounded in care for people and places.
