Johan Woltjer

Prof. Johan Woltjer is a Professor of Urban Development and Planning at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and serves as Dean of Graduate Studies. He previously held positions at the University of Westminster, University of Amsterdam, and University of Twente. His academic roles include Honorary Professor at the Institute of Technology Bandung (Indonesia) and Editor of the Q1 journal Cities. Woltjer’s research focuses on urban and regional development, sustainable cities, environmental governance, water resources, and infrastructure planning. He has led projects on climate resilience, port governance, and equitable transport infrastructure in Southeast Asia and Europe. His work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing international collaboration and policy evaluation. Key grants include the Global Challenges Research Fund (UK) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). He advises institutions like the UK Research & Innovation Panel and the University of Reading. His teaching spans curriculum development, international urban studies, and policy evaluation. Woltjer’s research outputs address governance challenges in Global South cities, institutional design, and flood risk management.

Research Interests: Urban sustainability, water governance, institutional design, climate resilience, spatial equity, and infrastructure development. He combines comparative methodologies with policy analysis to address global urban challenges, particularly in Asia and Europe. Recent work explores equity in transport infrastructure through geographical bundling and informal mechanisms in water management.

Grants & Projects:

• Vulnerability Reduction Planning Frameworks (UNS Institute of Research)
• Sustainable Urban Infrastructure & Wellbeing (British Council)
• Metropoles and Future of Urban Indonesia (Royal Academy of Arts & Sciences)

Awards & Roles: Honorary Professor (ITB), Editor of Cities, External Examiner (University of Reading).