Bas van Heur

Overview

Bas van Heur is a Professor of Urban Studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, leading the Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research and directing the Brussels Centre for Urban Studies. He oversees the Erasmus Mundus MSc 4Cities and the VUB-ULB MSc in Urban Studies. His work focuses on state institutions' role in regulating urban development through knowledge mobilization, with a normative emphasis on democratic civic engagement.

Research Focus

• Politics of urban development
• State-society relations
• Knowledge governance systems
• Urban policy frameworks

Projects

Active projects include 'Shaping care: Community Welfare Infrastructures' (2025), 'House of Sustainable Transitions' (2024–2028), and leadership roles in urban research hubs. He has coordinated over 55 projects since 2006.

Academic Contributions

Prominent 2024 publications address urban studies institutionalization, European urban vacancy, and global urban research center dynamics. Recent work explores cultural infrastructure governance and sustainable urban transitions.

Affiliations

• Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research
• Brussels Centre for Urban Studies
• Research Hub Urban and Socio-Environmental Transformations