Francesca Ranalli

Francesca Ranalli is a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Social Science department and the Dynamics of Youth (DoY) research group. Her work bridges research and practice, focusing on community building through participatory methods with youth. She holds a PhD from the University of Amsterdam (UvA), funded by Dutch institutions like Kerckebosch Zeist and Gemeente Almere. Her research emphasizes youth engagement in urban environments and has earned her the Isaac Roet Prize and grants from the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS).

Her current postdoctoral focus involves developing tools to enhance youth well-being and community ties. She collaborates on the JPI-funded Trustmaking project at TU Delft, leading an Urban Living Lab in Rotterdam involving local youth and stakeholders. Her expertise includes participatory process design, art-based methods, and intergenerational collaboration.

Francesca’s career integrates her architectural background with social science research, aiming to create inclusive spaces for community belonging. She actively seeks interdisciplinary approaches to address urban challenges, particularly in marginalized urban areas.