Mathieu Van Criekingen

Mathieu Van Criekingen is a Lecturer in Geography and Urban Studies at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He coordinates the academic program for the Euromaster in Urban Studies 4Cities and co-participates in the interdisciplinary Master in Urban Studies VUB-ULB. Since 2011, he has been active in the academic collective "L'atelier des chercheurs," which advocates for de-hierarchization of knowledge production in universities.

His research specializes in critical urban studies with emphases on:

• Spatial manifestations of social domination in capitalist cities
• Political economy frameworks for analyzing urban transformations
• Gentrification dynamics in working-class neighborhoods
• Resistance practices against neoliberal urban planning models
• Transnational comparative analyses of urban marketplaces

His publications (2014-2017) demonstrate consistent focus on gentrification mechanisms, urban conflict zones, and critical evaluations of participatory urban policies. Thematically, they reveal deep engagement with Brussels as a case study while developing theoretical critiques of neoliberal urban governance.

Van Criekingen contributes to academic communities promoting alternative university models and participates actively in European urban studies education frameworks through his coordination roles in graduate programs.