Adèle Esposito

Dr. Adèle Esposito is a Researcher at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), affiliated with the UMR AUSser (Architecture, Urbanistique, Société : savoirs, enseignement, recherche), a joint research unit under CNRS and MCC. Her work centers on the urban dynamics of Southeast Asian cities, particularly how heritage influences urban projects, transformation, and development.

Her research interests lie at the intersection of urban studies, heritage studies, and spatial planning. She investigates urban projects as processes involving conception, implementation, and reception, analyzing how architectural and urban materiality interact with cultural, political, and social logics. Her work treats cities as complex cultural phenomena, reflecting the transformations and continuities in rapidly evolving Southeast Asian societies.

The available publications indicate a strong focus on critical heritage theory, urban regeneration, and heritage-led urban development. Themes include the role of heritage in identity formation, the socio-spatial impacts of tourism, and the negotiation of cultural memory in urban spaces. Her work spans theoretical contributions and case studies in cities like Siem Reap and Kowloon.

She has participated in international academic forums, including sessions on critical heritage studies, linguistic dimensions of heritage, and heritage inventories, indicating active engagement with the global scholarly community.

Dr. Esposito's research contributes to understanding how heritage functions not merely as preservation but as an active agent in urban change, shaping both physical landscapes and social identities in contemporary Asia.