PhD in URBAN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND POLICY -
41st cycle
Number of scholarship offered 5
Department DIPARTIMENTO DI ARCHITETTURA E STUDI URBANI
Description of the PhD Programme
The PhD programme in Urban Planning, Design and Policy aims to explore the impact of
contemporary urban change and understand how it can be governed through planning, design
and policy-making activities.
The programme focuses on territorial, social, economic and institutional transformations in
contemporary cities. It aims at addressing these as a complex of intertwined phenomena, which
calls for new governance, planning and design approaches. By fostering a dialogue with the best
international schools, this programme is the place for research and innovative approaches to
urban studies, spatial planning and urban design.
PhD candidates are encouraged to reflect upon traditional and innovative practices in these fields
by participating in research activities concerning cities and regions, paying attention to
international comparison. This approach is fostered through the organization of international
seminars and an internship period at one of the research institutes, universities or public agencies
that make up the international network of the programme.
Further information is available at the website: https://www.dottorato.polimi.it/corsi-di-
dottorato/architettura/urban-planning-design-and-policy .
Stampato il 15/04/2025 1/1
PhD in URBAN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND POLICY -
41st cycle
INTERDISCIPLINARY Research Field: METROPOLITAN WATER GOVERNANCE: A.I.,
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, AND SPATIAL PLANNING FOR WATER RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL COHESION IN THE METROPOLIS OF THE FUTURE
Monthly net income of PhDscholarship (max 36 months)
€ 1300.0
In case of a change of the welfare rates during the three-year period, the amount could be modified.
Context of the research activity
Interdisciplinary PhD Grant. The PhD research will be
carried out in collaboration with research groups of the
PhD programme in "SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE". See
https://www.dottorato.polimi.it/?id=422&L=1 for further
information.
This PhD research project aims at developing a
metropolitan water governance model that integrates
Artificial Intelligence (AI) with traditional local knowledge
and spatial planning, fostering more resilient and adaptive
climate strategies. On the one hand, AI has already
Motivation and objectives of the research
in this field demonstrated potential in hydrological forecasting, water
quality management, and precision agriculture. However,
data availability and governance fragmentation remain
significant obstacles, as megacities often struggle with
incomplete information and operate within complex,
transcalar, and often disconnected decision-making
frameworks. Addressing these gaps is essential for
transforming AI into an effective tool for equitable water
distribution and sustainable urban planning. On the other,
there is a clear need for proactive and multi-scalar
governance models, moving beyond reactive crisis
management that can allow metropolitan areas to
embrace preparedness and antifragility developing water
systems that not only withstand crises (such as droughts,
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floods, or climate change) but also improve and evolve in
response to them.
Moving from these general hypotheses, the PhD project
will contribute to delve into the growing interests in digital
technologies rising in the sphere of spatial planning, in
particular at the metropolitan scale: AI is tested in
particular in its capacity to support urban and territorial
planning to promote sustainability, to understand and map
urban metabolism, providing models able to predict
resource flows in complex territories like those invested by
metropolitan scale urbanisation processes and to collect
large volumes of data to identify patterns and anomalies
in the flows and predict future trends or to help optimize
the use of resources. At the same time, AI use in spatial
planning is questioned in the light of several concerns: Ai
algorithms could perpetuate social and economic biases,
leading to unfair decisions as well as power concentrated
in the hands of large tech companies could threaten cities'
sovereignty.
This research project stems from a long-term interaction
between the Department of Architecture and Urban
Studies and UN-Habitat MetroHUB program, defined
through a Memorandum of Understanding and aims to
contribute to UN-Habitat's current effort to critically
address and discuss the power of digital transition and its
challenges in metropolitan contexts.
The research will adopt an interdisciplinary approach,
integrating quantitative and qualitative methods. It will
combine advanced data analysis tools, predictive
modelling, urban planning, and social sciences. Artificial
intelligence plays a central role in predicting water supply
and demand, simulating the effects of climate change,
Methods and techniques that will be
developed and used to carry out the and optimizing resource management through machine
research learning and deep learning techniques. Geospatial
analysis and the use of GIS make it possible to map water
distribution and identify areas at risk of scarcity. At the
same time, Big Data Analytics enables the collection and
interpretation of data from urban sensors, water networks,
and climate models.Â
 In parallel, metropolitan planning and public policy
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analysis will provide the theoretical and application
framework for developing future water management
scenarios through urban scenario planning and multi-
criteria evaluation methods considering sustainability,
efficiency, and social inclusion. Analyzing water
governance policies and structures helps to understand
the power dynamics and institutional fragmentation that
often characterize metropolises.Â
A key aspect of the research is integrating traditional
knowledge and involving local communities. Through
participatory research methods, qualitative interviews, and
co-design workshops, we collect and valorize cultural
experiences and practices related to water use to co-
design solutions adapted to specific contexts.Â
 This approach will allow the PhD candidate to transcend
a purely technological vision and build a governance
model considering water's social, cultural, and ecological
dimensions as a common good.
 Finally, the research will focus on modelling urban
resilience and antifragility, applying complex systems
theories to understand the interactions between water,
population, infrastructure and governance. Adopting urban
resilience indicators enables cities to assess their ability to
adapt to water crises and environmental shocks. At the
same time, the concept of antifragility explores how urban
systems can strengthen and improve in response to
challenges.
The proposed PhD candidate will benefit from the joint
support of the PhD Program in Urban Planning, Design,
and Policy (UPDP) and the PhD Programme in Science,
Technology, and Policy for Sustainable Change (STEP-
CHANGE).
UPDP focuses on sustainable, equitable, and resilient
Educational objectives urban development. The research aligns closely with its
goals by proposing AI-based models for urban water
management that integrate spatial planning and
participatory governance. This supports UPDP emphasis
on understanding and guiding urban transformations
through inclusive and innovative planning practices.
STEP-CHANGE promotes sustainable transitions via
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green technologies, decarbonization, and inclusive policy
design. The research directly contributes to this mission
by applying AI to water governance and urban resilience,
addressing key global environmental challenges with
technology-driven solutions.
By combining UPDP expertise in urban governance with
STEP-CHANGE focus on technological innovation, the
PhD candidate will work in a strongly interdisciplinary
environment, bridging urban planning and systems
thinking, offering new methodologies to tackle complex
challenges like water scarcity and climate adaptation.Â
This collaboration enhances both programmes by uniting
technological and policy-driven perspectives. It will equip
the PhD candidate with the tools and frameworks to
address urgent urban and environmental issues,
contributing to more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive
cities on a global scale.Â
According to its international orientation, the PhD program
trains highly qualified researchers and professionals. It
expects them to work in academic institutions, research
centers, public administrations and the private sector in
fields such as spatial planning, design and management
of urban projects and policy, urban studies and urban
governance. PhD graduates with such a profile are
Job opportunities qualified to be employed by Italian and international
academic institutions, public bodies and research centres,
as well as public and private development agencies.
Moreover, this PhD bursary stems from the collaboration
with UN-Habitat and will also envisage and develop
opportunities of exchange during and after the PhD
programme.Â
16 Full Professors
9 Associated Professors
Composition of the research group 1 Assistant Professors
60 PhD Students
Name of the research directors V. Fedeli, A. Castelletti, E. Morello
Contacts
PhD Coordinator:
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Prof. Eugenio Morello
e-mail: eugenio.morello@polimi.it
phone +39/02/2399.2666
PhD tutor:
Dafni Riga
email: dafnitheodosia.riga@polimi.it
Contact in the PhD Office at DAStU:
Marina Bonaventura
E-mail: marina.bonaventura@polimi.it;
phone +39/02/2399.5165
Marilena Mastalli
Email: marilena.mastalli@polimi.it
phone+39/02/2399. 9395
Further information on the PhD Program in Urban Planning, Design and Policy is available at:Â
https://www.dottorato.polimi.it/corsi-di-dottorato/architettura/urban-planning-design-and-policy
Additional support - Financial aid per PhD student per year (gross amount)
Housing - Foreign Students --
Housing - Out-of-town residents --
Scholarship Increase for a period abroad
Amount monthly 650.0 €
By number of months 6
Stage and period abroad
Institution or company where the
candidate will spend the period abroad
(name and brief description)
By number of months abroad 0
Additional information: educational activity, teaching assistantship, computer availability, desk availability,
any other information
List of 5 Universities, Companies, Agencies and/or National or International Institutions
that are cooperating in the research:
1. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
2. HafenCity Universitaet Hamburg
3. Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
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4. Universidade de SÃo Paulo
5. Sciences Po, Paris
Educational activities (purchase of study books and material, funding for participation in
courses, summer schools, workshops and conferences): financial aid per PhD student per year
("DOTE"): total amount:Â 5.300,25 euro:
1st year: max 1.766,75 euro
2nd year: max 1.766,75 euro
3rd year: max 1.766,75 euro
Teaching assistantship  (availability of funding in recognition of supporting teaching
activities by the PhD student)
There are various forms of financial aid supporting the teaching practice.
The PhD candidate is encouraged to take part in these activities, within the limits allowed by the
regulations.ÂÂ
Workspace:
In the UPDP PhD room at Bldg. 14 in Leonardo Campus, workstations are available for shared
use. All the PhD students can use their laptops with wireless or LAN connection.
Workstations and other equipment are available in the various departmental laboratories (Dastu)
linked with the doctoral programme.
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PhD in URBAN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND POLICY -
41st cycle
OPEN SUBJECT Research Field: URBAN PLANNING, DESIGN AND POLICY
Monthly net income of PhDscholarship (max 36 months)
€ 1300.0
In case of a change of the welfare rates during the three-year period, the amount could be modified.
Context of the research activity
The Ph.D. programme in Urban Planning, Design, and
Policy fosters research that critically engages with
contemporary societal challenges, using spatial and
governance perspectives to explore urban and regional
development processes. It promotes original,
interdisciplinary contributions across various themes,
including:
•The role of contemporary landscapes, as well as
agricultural, forestry, and park systems, in protecting and
sustainably transforming urban and regional
environments.
•Socio-economic dynamics shaping territorial
Motivation and objectives of the research transformations, with attention to their impact on
in this field
productive sectors, tourism, and service economies.
Critical approaches to urbanity, emphasizing urban
design and regeneration to reshape the spatial and social
fabric of cities.
•Responses to radical uncertainty in spatial planning, and
the exploration of new governance and decision-making
paradigms.
•The digital transition and its effects on urban and regional
development, digital citizenship, and the evolving right to
the city.
•Ecological and energy transitions as strategic responses
to climate change and geopolitical instability, focusing on
spatial and policy dimensions.
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spatial and policy dimensions.
•Innovation in spatial planning tools and policies to
strengthen public administration capacity.
•Mobility as a spatial, socio-technical, and ethical issue in
the planning and design of cities and regions.
•Cultural heritage as a platform for experimentation and
innovation in urban development and regeneration.
•The housing crisis, with a focus on affordability, policy
reform, and governance innovation.
The integration between different fields and disciplines of
urban research on the one hand and between theory and
practice on the other characterizes the approach
promoted by the PhD programme. Based on this,
introductory courses support educational activities, which
focus on research methods, comparative assessment of
best practices, and design workshops. The main courses
and workshops provided in the first year are the following:
•course on research design and methods, providing a
methodological introduction to the doctoral dissertation
(literature review, drafting of a research project), as well
as research tools in the fields of urban planning, policy
and design;
Methods and techniques that will be •research-by-design workshop, in which different
developed and used to carry out the
research experiences and skills are combined to explore themes
and methods of urban planning, policymaking and project
design. The workshop, organized in an intensive work
period, is anticipated by introductory seminars.
Each learning activity is subject to grading through oral
examination and the submission of written papers.
Detailed programs are available on the PhD programme's
website. Within the end of the first year, PhD students will
be required to submit a research proposal for their PhD
dissertation. The core activities of the second year are:
•an internship of six months in a foreign university or
agency working in the field of urban planning and policy;
•at least one paper submitted to an international journal
and the participation in an international conference as a
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speaker.
During the third year, the PhD candidate should devote
his/her time to research and development of the PhD
thesis. For each candidate, one member of the Board is
appointed as a tutor, responsible for supporting the
candidate's work. A scientific supervisor is also appointed
during the first year. The board of professors holds regular
meetings with PhD candidates.
By fostering a dialogue with the best international schools,
this programme is the place for research and innovative
approaches to urban studies, spatial planning and urban
design. PhD candidates are encouraged to reflect upon
traditional and innovative practices in these fields by
participating in research activities concerning cities and
regions, and paying attention to international comparison.
This approach is fostered through the organization of
international seminars and an internship period at one of
the research institutes, universities or public agencies that
make up the international network of the programme.
The programme pays specific attention to the transition
towards new, more sustainable and equitable modes of
urban development as well as to pro-active advancements
in planning practices and to potential innovations in
traditional urban studies, urban design and policy
approaches.The integration between different fields and
disciplines of urban research on the one hand, and
between theory and practice on the other, distinguishes
the approach promoted by this PhD programme.
Educational objectives
The objective of the PhD programme is to provide PhD
students with analytical and interpretative tools and
research methods to advance research frontiers in the
field of urban studies, spatial planning, urban design,
urban policy and governance. PhD students are
encouraged to reflect upon traditional and innovative
practices in these fields by participating in research
activities concerning cities and regions in Italy and
abroad, paying particular attention to international
comparison.This objective is achieved through the
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organization of international seminars and a period of
internship to be carried out by PhD students at one of the
research institutes, universities or public agencies that
constitute the international reference network of the
programme.
According to its international orientation, the PhD program
trains highly qualified researchers and professionals. It
expects them to work in academic institutions, research
centres, public administrations and the private sector in
fields such as spatial planning, design and management
Job opportunities of urban projects and policy, urban studies and urban
governance.PhD graduates with such a profile are
qualified to be employed by Italian and international
academic institutions, public bodies and research centres,
as well as public and private development agencies.
16 Full Professors
9 Associated Professors
Composition of the research group 1 Assistant Professors
60 PhD Students
Name of the research directors Prof. Eugenio Morello
Contacts
PhD Coordinator:
Prof. Eugenio Morello
e-mail: eugenio.morello@polimi.it
phone +39/02/2399.2666
PhD tutor:
Dafni Riga
email: dafnitheodosia.riga@polimi.it
Contact in the PhD Office at DAStU:
Marina Bonaventura
E-mail: marina.bonaventura@polimi.it;
phone +39/02/2399.5165
Marilena Mastalli
Email: marilena.mastalli@polimi.it
phone+39/02/2399. 9395
Further information on the PhD Program in Urban Planning, Design and Policy is available at:
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https://www.dottorato.polimi.it/corsi-di-dottorato/architettura/urban-planning-design-and-policy
Additional support - Financial aid per PhD student per year (gross amount)
Housing - Foreign Students --
Housing - Out-of-town residents --
Scholarship Increase for a period abroad
Amount monthly 650.0 €
By number of months 6
Stage and period abroad
Institution or company where the
candidate will spend the period abroad
(name and brief description)
By number of months abroad 0
Additional information: educational activity, teaching assistantship, computer availability, desk availability,
any other information
List of 5 Universities, Companies, Agencies and/or National or International Institutions
that are cooperating in the research:
1. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
2. HafenCity Universitaet Hamburg
3. Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
4. Universidade de São Paulo
5. Sciences Po, Paris
Educational activities (purchase of study books and material, funding for participation in
courses, summer schools, workshops and conferences): financial aid per PhD student per year
("DOTE"): total amount: 5.300,25 euro:
1st year: max 1.766,75 euro
2nd year: max 1.766,75 euro
3rd year: max 1.766,75 euro
Teaching assistantship (availability of funding in recognition of supporting teaching
5/6
activities by the PhD student)
There are various forms of financial aid supporting the teaching practice.
The PhD candidate is encouraged to take part in these activities, within the limits allowed by the
regulations.
Workspace:
In the UPDP PhD room at Bldg. 14 in Leonardo Campus, workstations are available for shared
use. All the PhD students can use their laptops with wireless or LAN connection.
Workstations and other equipment are available in the various departmental laboratories (Dastu)
linked with the doctoral programme.
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