Completed projects

2014 “Understanding culture in territorial management and its implications for spatial planning: The case of floodplain management in urbanised delta regions in the Netherlands and Thailand” , Rongwiriyaphanich, S. . Promotor: Professor Vincent Nadin. Daily supervisor: Roberto Rocco. Defended in 2014. Keywords: Planning cultures, comparative planning studies, floodplain management, the commons. More information HERE.

2019 “Urban Informality Shaped by Labor: Addressing the spatial logics of favelas”, Ana Rosa Chagas Cavalcanti. Promotor: Professor Dick van Gameren. Co-promotor: Roberto Rocco. Defence in Sept. 2019.  Keywords: labour and urban form, favelas, urban geography, labour and space.

2021 Sergio Vieda (Colombia)  “Housing Informality beyond the Urban Poor: Spatialities, Public Institutions, and Social Injustice in Rich Settlements of Bogotá”, Gran Sasso Science Institute Italy. Main supervisor: Dr Francesco Chiodelli.  Roberto’s role: External advisor.

2020-2023 (Co-promotor). Ana Jayone Yarza Perez (Spain). Adaptive Reuse of Urban Heritage in Contested Urban Contexts. Roberto’s role: Co-Promotor. Main promotor: Frank van der Hoeven. https://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:cc4494e6-df20-42c3-8e43-68dfeafc78b4

2021-2026 (Promotor) Yizhao DU (China). Navigating intra-regional unevenness in China: Engaging secondary cities towards coordinated mega-regionalization. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Daily supervisor: Rodrigo Viseu Cardoso. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103619

2021-2026 (Promotor) Diwen TAN (China). Forms of Hybridity: Tradition and Modernity in Shenzhen’s Urban Fringe. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Daily supervisor: Gregory Bracken. https://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:301fc71d-1c09-432e-be11-fedf81c05beb

On-Going Projects

2023-2026 (Promotor) Ricardo Avella (Venezuela). Working title: “Modernizing the Venezuelan Amazon: Rural Housing as an Instrument of Cold War era Colonization”. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Co-promotor: Vanessa Grossman, University of Pennsylvania. Daily supervisor: Taneha Bacchin.

2023-2026 (Promotor) Adam Susaneck (US). Working title: Segregation by Design: How has infrastructure been used in the United States to promote racial segregation. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Daily supervisor: Caroline Newton.

2021-2024 (Promotor) Fouad Alasiri (Saudi Arabia). Working title “Cultural and Social Norms Impact on Urban Policies. Public Participation in Saudi cities”. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Daily supervisor: Marcin Dabrowski.

2024-2028 (Promotor) Xinyu Lin (China), Peri-Urban Wastescape Regeneration: The Role of Circular Food System in Chinese Metropolitan Regions. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Daily Supervisor: Marcin Dabrowski, Qu Lei.

2025-2029 (Promotor) Aditi Natarajan (India). Collective action for just transitions in cities. Roberto’s role: Promotor. Co-promotors: Caroline Newton and Juliana Gonçalves.

2026-2030 (Co-Promotor): Angela Ferrero (Argentina) Water Access, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure Justice in Peri-Urban SSAfrica. Roberto’s role (co-promotor). Promotor: Edo Abraham. Daily supervisor: Job van der Werf.

Membership of doctoral committees

MARCH 2024 (University of Tweente). Sergio Alvarado Vazquez.  “Social participation and the role of ICT in the planning, design, and maintenance of public spaces”. Promotor: Prof. Dr. Karin Pfeffer, Co-supervisors: Dr. Mafalda Madureira, Dr. Frank Ostermann.

OCT 2023 (TU Delft). Dr. Anica Dragutinivic, “Mass Housing Neighbourhoods And Urban Commons: Values-based Governance and Intervention Framework for New Belgrade Blocks”. Promotor: Prof.dr.-ing. U. Pottgiesser Delft University of Technology, promotor, Prof.dr. A. Nikezic University of Belgrade, Serbia, promotor, Dr. W. J. Quist Delft University of Technology, co-promotor.

SEPT 2023. (TU Delft). Dr  J.C. Cañizares Gaztelu.  “Normativity and Justice in Resilience Strategies”, Promotor:  Prof.dr.mr.ir. N. Doorn (TPM), Co-promotor: Dr. S.M. Copeland 

DEC 2022. (TU Delft) Dr Boram Kim, “Housing Justice as Expansion of People’s Capabilities for Housing Proposal for principles of housing policy and evaluation of housing inequality“. Prof. dr.ir. M.G. Elsinga Delft University of Technology, promotor m Dr. M.E.A. Haffner Delft University of Technology, co-promotor. 

JULY 2022 (Politecnico di Torino). Danial Mohabat Doost, “Social Equity and Urban Resilience: Investigating the capability of urban resilience theory and planning to address social equity“. Main supervisor: Prof. Angioletta Voghera, Co-Supervisor: Prof. Grazia Brunetta.

OCT 2020. (TU Delft) Dr Rachel E. Keeton, “African New Towns: An adaptive, principle-based planning approach”. Promotors: Prof. dr.ir. V.J. (Han) Meyer Delft University of Technology, promotor: Prof.dr.ir. M.G. Elsinga, Dr. M.E.A. Haffner, daily supervisor. Delft University of Technology.

APR 2020. (POLITO) Dr. Maurizio Pioletti, “Spatial Governance in the Latin American and Caribbean Region: A survey on metropolitan areas in Brazil, Bolivia and Cuba”, Politecnico di Torino, Supervisors: Prof. Umberto Janin Rivolin, (Supervisor) and Prof. Luciana de Oliveira Royer, Universidade de São Paulo (Co-Supervisor).

OCT 2019. (UvA) Dr Sara Özogul, “Transformative Spatial Governance: New Avenues for Comprehensive Planning in Fragmented Urban Development”. University of Amsterdam, Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen. Promotor: Tuna Tasan-Kok.

MAY 2019 (UIC Barcelona) Dr Nasr Chamma,“Integrated Sustainable Settlements, as Future Refugee Camps. case-Studies: Syrian Refugee Settlements in Jordan, Turkey and Jordan”. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carmen Mendoza Arroyo of UIC-Barcelona Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. -Ing. Annette Rudolph-Cleff of TU-Darmstadt 

DEC 2017. (Universidad de Sevilla) Dr Irene Luque Martin,  “Descodificando la Planificación Urbana Contemporánea: Hacia una alternativa metodológica para una planificación colaborativa”. University of Sevilla, Department of Urbanism and Territorial Management. Promotors: D. Victoriano Sainz Gutierrez and D. Antonio Piñero Valverde.

JUNE 2016. (POLIMI) Dr Nabil Menhem, “The Role of the Resilience Concept in Informing Regional: Policy Approaches at Multiple Territorial Scales”, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Planning. Promotor: Professor Bruno Dente, Chair of the Doctoral Program: Professor Costanzo Ranci.