Anders Ese

Anders Ese serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture at Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO). His academic career bridges urban development theory with practical fieldwork across East Africa, particularly focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. Ese has established interdisciplinary urbanism practices in both Tanzania and Norway, collaborating with municipalities, county authorities, ministries, and international organizations on urban strategies addressing complex social and environmental challenges.

His research portfolio demonstrates significant interdisciplinary depth, exploring intersections between urbanism, social sciences, and humanities. Ese's doctoral work centered on mapping and analyzing complex urban areas in Nairobi, culminating in his influential 2020 book The City Makers of Nairobi: An African Urban History (Routledge), which challenges conventional narratives by highlighting African agency in urban development during the colonial era. His ongoing research investigates women's experiences in Nairobi's informal settlements during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mobility patterns in South Sudan-Uganda border regions, and climate-resilient water systems in vulnerable communities across Africa and Norway.

Ese's scholarly output reveals consistent thematic evolution toward critical examinations of urban futures, decolonial perspectives, and climate adaptation. His recent publications (2022-2024) increasingly focus on post-growth frameworks, community-based water security, and digital platforms' role in shaping urban opportunities. The publications collectively demonstrate his commitment to challenging Eurocentric urban paradigms while developing contextually appropriate solutions for Global South cities.

As an educator, Ese divides his time between undergraduate teaching and the Post Growth master's program, where he explores climate-change futures across global contexts. He also leads the advanced course Rethinking Development and Sustainable Futures, which critically examines sustainability paradigms. His teaching philosophy emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches that integrate social justice perspectives with practical urban interventions.

Ese leads significant research projects including Local water systems and global water security: vulnerability and resilience (NFRF) and Social media and the crisis of urban inequality. These initiatives reflect his commitment to translating academic research into practical urban solutions while centering local knowledge systems and community agency in the research process.