Loretta Lees

Loretta Lees is a Professor & Faculty Director of the Initiative on Cities at Boston University. She previously held professorships at Leicester University and King’s College London. Her research focuses on gentrification, urban regeneration, global urbanism, and urban policy. She has authored/co-authored 14 books, including seminal works like Planetary Gentrification and Gentrification. Lees is a leading scholar-activist, advocating for just urban policies through collaborations with residents, planners, and policymakers. She chairs the London Housing Panel and has been recognized with fellowships from Academia Europaea (2022), UK Higher Education Academy (2018), and the Royal Society for the Arts (2012).

Education: University of Edinburgh, U.K.

Research Interests:

• Gentrification processes and their global manifestations
• Urban public space and defensible space theory
• State-led urban regeneration and displacement
• Activism and urban policy advocacy

Awards:

• Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award (2022)
• Fellow of Academia Europaea (2022)
• Fellow of Royal Society for the Arts (2012)

Grants & Advocacy: Lees has worked with the Mayor of London and Trust for London to address housing inequities. Her research often bridges academic rigor with practical policy interventions, emphasizing participatory approaches.

Labs/Teams: She leads the Initiative on Cities, a multidisciplinary urban research hub at Boston University.