Carola Hein

Carola Hein is a full Professor at Leiden University (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences), TU Delft, and Erasmus University Rotterdam, holding the UNESCO Chair 'Water, Ports and Historic Cities'. She leads the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus PortCityFutures research centre, focusing on port-city dynamics, water heritage, and long-term urban resilience. Her work integrates cultural anthropology, environmental history, and mixed-methods research to inform sustainable planning strategies.

Research interests include global port-city relationships, adaptive strategies for water heritage, and the socio-spatial impacts of infrastructure projects. Notable awards include Guggenheim and Humboldt fellowships. Recent publications address sustainable public meals in crises, petroleum architecture, and climate-adaptive port landscapes.

She has coordinated interdisciplinary projects like PortCityFutures and contributed to policy debates on energy transitions and historic city preservation. Her work bridges academic research with practical urban planning challenges, emphasizing historical analysis for future-oriented solutions.