Iolanda Bianchi (PhD in Political Science and PhD in Urban Planning) is an urban and political sociologist. She works in the field of urban governance, policy and collective action. (PhD in Political Science and PhD in Urban Planning) is an urban and political sociologist. She works in the field of urban governance, policy and collective action. Her research focuses on the role of cities as agents of transformation; on progressive urban and territorial policies, including housing, water management, and culture; on the management and democratisation of local public services; on the governance of urban public land and assets; and on the commons as a transformative form of governance. She currently holds a Ramón y Cajal Research Fellowship at the University of Barcelona. Previously, she was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow at the University of Antwerp and a Juan de la Cierva fellow at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Research areas: urban democracy, progressive urban politics, policy and service management, urban collective action.
Research topics: new municipalism, urban commons, public-common partnerships, co-production of public policies, public asset and land governance.
Accredited as Associate Professor in Sociology by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalonia), 2024.
Education
2018. PhD in Political Science, Public Policies and International Relations. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. PhD in Regional Planning and Public Policies. Università IUAV di Venezia.
2012. MSc in Urban Regeneration. University College of London, The Bartlett School of Planning.
2009. Second Level Degree in Architecture. Università degli Studi di Ferrara.
Professional experience in academia
1/09/2024 – current: Ramón y Cajal Senior Research Fellow. Department of Sociology. University of Barcelona.
1/09/2023 – 31/08/2024: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral fellow. Department of Sociology and Urban Studies Institute. University of Antwerp (1 maternity leave).
24/11/2022 – 31/08/2023: Marie Skłodowska-Curie SoE Postdoctoral fellow. Department of Sociology and Urban Studies Institute and Urban Studies Institute. University of Antwerp.
01/02/2020 – 23/11/2022: Juan de la Cierva Formación Post-doctoral fellow. IGOP- Institute of Government and Public Policies, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1 maternity leave).
23/09/2019 – 25/11/2019: Visiting research fellow, USI- Urban Studies Institute, University of Antwerp.
28/01/2019 – 31/01/2020: Post-doctoral researcher IGOP- Institute of Government and Public Policies, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Professional experience in regeneration and architecture
01/01/2010 – 31/12/2013: Co-funder and manager of not for-profit-organisation, MettiamoSuBottega, Trani, Italy.
01/10/2012 – 30/11/2013: Head Architect, Eat Work Art Ltd, London, UK.
01/08/2011 – 30/09/2012: Architect, Eat Work Art Ltd, London, UK (part-time).
01/03/2010 – 31/07/2010: Architect, Recetas Urbanas Slp, Sevilla, Spain (part-time).
01/03/2010 – 31/07/2010: Architect, LaPanaderia Slp, Sevilla, Spain (part-time).
01/10/2009 – 30/10/2009: Intern Architect, Estudio Luis Urculo, Madrid. Spain.
iolanda bianchi 