KU Leuven Research Professorship

KU Leuven invites applications for a full-time research professor (BOFZAP) in the field of landscape architecture, urbanism, and design. We seek internationally oriented candidates with an excellent research record and specialized teaching competence in these areas.

About the role

The candidate will contribute to the research of the Department of Architecture within the research section Urban Design, Urbanism, Landscape and Planning (UULP), which unites researchers from both the Faculty of Engineering Science and the Faculty of Architecture. KU Leuven operates in a multi-campus model combining research departments and faculties.

Research focus

The appointed candidate will:

• Develop a research programme at the forefront of landscape architecture, urbanism, and design, addressing contemporary challenges such as global warming, de-colonization, social-environmental justice, biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, and environmental contamination.
• Create interdisciplinary theoretical, methodological, and practical approaches for understanding, modeling, designing, and implementing nature- and landscape-based solutions.
• Possess fundamental knowledge in landscape and urban design, ecology, building and water engineering, human-nature relations, and projective design of urban, rural, and territorial futures.
• Establish a top-level agenda of fundamental and applied research on topics including:
  • Spatial, structural, and functional characteristics of ecosystem elements.
  • Integrity of natural and human-produced ecosystems.
  • Integration of nature-based solutions in architecture and urbanism scenarios.
  • Feedback loops between engineering and projective design of green, blue, and built infrastructures.
  • Role of landscape architecture, urbanism, and design in addressing socio-ecological challenges and injustices.
  • Dynamics of strategic landscape projects and spatial policies contributing to sustainability.