Sonia Freire Trigo

Sonia Freire Trigo serves as Lecturer in Urban Planning at The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London (UCL) since December 2018. With professional training in architecture (Universidade da Coruña, 2004) and advanced degrees in urban planning (MSc, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 2010; PhD, UCL, 2018), she combines academic rigor with practical experience from Spain-based planning consultancies and real estate appraisal work.

• PhD in Urban Planning (2018), UCL
• MSc in Urban Planning (2010), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
• BArch in Architecture (2004), Universidade da Coruña

Her research focuses on the governance of urban regeneration processes, particularly examining interactions between planning regulation, land markets, and land policy. Current projects analyze the regulation of affordable housing, strategic planning tools like London's Opportunity Areas, and temporal dimensions in planning processes that affect regeneration delivery.

Recent publications reveal consistent exploration of regulatory capitalism (2017-2023), housing association governance (2023), virtual statecraft mechanisms (2022), and brownfield land policies (2022). Her work combines institutional analysis with critical planning theory to address urban inequalities and development challenges.

• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (2015-present)
• Postgraduate Fellowship, Royal Geographical Society (2013-2016)

Active in teaching and program leadership, she directs UCL's MSc Urban Regeneration program since 2019 and teaches regeneration delivery modules at postgraduate level. Earlier teaching experience at London South Bank University focused on housing and property development topics.