معرفی
Frans Sijtsma is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, and Director of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development. He holds dual affiliations at the Department of Economic Geography and the Urban and Regional Studies Institute. His expertise focuses on the valuation of nature and landscape within economic and spatial planning contexts, including Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). He leads the research program 'Nature and spatial change' and chairs the Sustainable Landscapes research group.
Education: Sijtsma earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Groningen in 2006. His earlier career included roles at AmroBank's international research department, the Science Shop for Economics and Business, and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL).
Research Interests: His work integrates ecological and economic perspectives, particularly in spatial projects like wildlife crossings and the Wadden Sea Region. He develops tools such as the Hotspotindex for evaluating landscape changes and the Greenmapper platform for mapping nature preferences. Recent projects include analyzing biodiversity finance mechanisms and child-friendly urban design using PPGIS.
- Grants & Awards: Received a Best Teaching Practice nomination (2023) and contributed to a prize-winning data science tender (2018).
- Advisory Roles: Member of Natuurmonumenten's Committee of External Experts and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Wadden Academy.
- Current Projects: Leading CurveBend-NL (2025–2032) and CurveBend (2025–2032), focusing on reconciling biodiversity and human lifescapes globally.
His publications emphasize transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development, with a focus on nature valuation, infrastructure planning, and coastal ecosystems. He collaborates internationally, particularly in the Wadden Sea and European landscapes, advocating for policy mixes that balance ecological and economic priorities.
