Urban Planning


Urban Planning is about connecting people. Connecting people through urban spaces and connecting people through processes in which these spaces are shaped and politically supported. Planning cannot be seen as a technical expertise only it should be seen in the light of political decision making processes with a participatory approach. In this approach it is not only the citizens, but all relevant stakeholders from private sector to small and medium businesses from international financiers to informal vendors.
Rogier van den Berg has extensive experience in Urban Planning at the design, the strategic and policy level. His former office Zandbelt&vandenBerg (2003-2013) has been recognised as a specialist in regional and metropolitan strategies with a extensive knowledge on scenario modelling, research by design and decision making processes.
From 2008-2012 he was head of the department of Urbanism at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.
Currently he is driving force behind and leader of UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design Lab and has worked in over 50 countries on citywide strategies, extensions planning, urban transformation and renewal, guidelines and development frameworks, post-crises recovery and reconstruction. Some examples include the Spatial Development Framework 2040 for the City of Johannesburg, Waterfront design for the historic city centre of Kabul, Afghanistan, Urban Retrofitting of informal areas in Canaan, Haïti, Masterplan for the capital city of Belize, Belmopan, Refugee Settlement Planning in Kenya, Intermediate city plans and guidelines in Myanmar, Extension Planning in Ghana and in Somalia and so on. In 2016 he brought together – with resources of the Dutch Creative Industries Fund – Dutch specialists to work in teams in the Philippines, Mexico, Gaza, Ghana and Myanmar. A documentary of these Urban Labs has been made and will be showcased at filmfestivals in 2017-2018. Also a 10-minute film has been made for each of the individual cases. Have a look at Gaza: