The KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute (LUSI) is an interdisciplinary research platform which encourages KU Leuven researchers to collaborate across scientific disciplines with the city as the focal point. LUSI-members include professors, postdocs and PhD researchers from – among other disciplines – geography, architecture, anthropology, economics, biomedical sciences, engineering, history, sociology, environmental sciences.
LUSI coordinates several interdisciplinary research projects in which members from several scientific disciplines and Faculties collaborate. Examples include:
- SUNSET: European doctoral training network which aims to develop innovative research and training capacity around city-university interactions driving the EU’s green and digital transition. SUNSET brings together prominent researchers working in diverse geographical and disciplinary settings at leading universities with partners from city governments (often participating in the Cities Mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2030), innovation companies, research institutes, and civil society organizations to analyze and foster the performance of these urban innovation ecosystems. Funded by Horizon Europe – MSCA (March 2024 – February 2028).
- ATLAS (Scenarios to rewrite precarious citizenship in Brussels through opening access to housing and social infrastructure): a team of anthropologists, architects, urban planners, geographers, and social workers (supported by a think-tank of local and international experts) will explore, map out and design how a multi-scalar urban government like Brussels could, via the building and providing of housing and social infrastructure, rewrite the precarious citizenship of an increasing number of people in its city. Funded by Innoviris (September 2023 – August 2026).
- CROSSPOINT (The role of cross-border regions in terms of public policy and the fight against inequalities): This international chair KU Leuven-Université de Lille is coordinated by LUSI and proposes an interdisciplinary research program on the role of Cross-Border Metropolitan Regions (CBMRs) in public policies and tackling inequalities. CROSSPOINT has two research objectives: (1) boosting knowledge on the political, social, and cultural challenges of the Eurometropolis region by benchmarking it in a European context; and (2) identifying success factors for establishing CBMRs capable of coordinating urban policies and fighting inequalities. Funded by Université de Lille (September 2023 – August 2027).
Photo: ©Leuven.cool, Maarten Reyniers
