Daniela Zupan

Daniela Zupan is an Associate Professor of European Cities and Urban Heritage at the Institute for European Urban Studies, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. She holds a Dr.-Ing. in Architecture and Mag. phil. in Slavic Studies. Her research focuses on urban political economies, post-socialist urban transformations, and authoritarian urbanism across Central/Eastern Europe and Russia. She directs the Institute for European Urban Studies and contributes to the International Heritage Centre and doctoral admissions.

Education:

• Diploma in Architecture (Graz University of Technology)
• Master's in Slavic Studies (University of Graz)
• Doctorate in Urban Planning (University of Stuttgart)

Research emphasizes city-making politics, housing studies, and spatial planning innovations. Current projects explore authoritarian urban governance and post-socialist city dynamics. She has published widely in journals such as Antipode and Environment and Planning C.

Her work uses discourse analysis to trace how urban policies reflect political-economic agendas. Recent focus areas include:

• Comfortization strategies in Russian cities
• Crisis narratives in post-war housing
• Neoliberal urbanism in Moscow

Leadership roles include editorial board membership for Interdisciplinary Housing Research and participation in key institutional boards.