Karin Pfeffer

Karin Pfeffer is a Full Professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management within the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation at the University of Twente. Previously, she served as Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam (2009-2016) and as Vice-Dean Research at ITC (2020-2024). Her work bridges geospatial technologies with urban sustainability, focusing on infrastructure, equity, and digital innovation.

• PhD in Physical Geography, Utrecht University

Research Interests: Urban infrastructures, socio-spatial inequality, digital twins, participatory GIS, and climate-resilient urbanism. She integrates GIS, remote sensing, and qualitative methods to analyze urban poverty, smart cities, and nature-based solutions.

Recent Article Trends: Her 2024-2025 work examines remote work's urban-rural impacts, inclusive mapping tools, and digital twins for drainage systems. Themes span geospatial analytics, equity in infrastructure, and collaborative planning.

Scientific Awards:

• 2022-23: Room for Failure in Science Grant (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fund)

Supervised Work & Grants: She guides 12 ongoing and 23 completed PhD projects (e.g., urban mobility in Saudi Arabia, digital twins for drainage systems). Past projects include DynaSlum (slum growth modelling) and CODALoop (energy behavior feedback). Her research aligns with UN SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities) and 13 (Climate Action).