Our Team
President of the BoardAimilia Alexandropoulou
Aimilia Alexandropoulou is an urban and regional planner, involved for more than 20 years in urban planning and regional development policies. She has professional experience in the fields of urban and spatial planning, strategic planning, regional development and policy, project and programme evaluation. She is experienced in project management and monitoring and co-ordination of project funding through the European Social Fund (ESF and ESF+) in the fields of social inclusion and poverty reduction. She is the President of the Board of the Hellenic Association of Urban and Regional Planners (SEMPXPA).
Assistant ProfessorErblin Berisha
Erblin Berisha is assistant professor at Politecnico di Torino. His research focuses on the evolution of Spatial Planning Systems and Territorial Governance in the European continent. It has more than ten years of experience in delivering participatory process with institutional and non-institutional actors.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: Erblin Berisha | Politecnico di Torino (polito.it)
Assistant ProfessorElisabetta Vitale Brovarone
Elisabetta Vitale Brovarone is Assistant professor of spatial planning at Politecnico di Torino. Her research focuses on mobility, land use-transport interaction and accessibility, with various approaches, at different scales, in urban and rural contexts. She is also interested in governance and local development in metropolitan, rural and mountain areas. On these topics, she authored several publications, has had professional experiences and participated in national and international research projects.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.polito.it/en/staff?p=elisabetta.vitale
Assistant ProfessorMagda Bolzoni
Magda Bolzoni is assistant professor of Urban and Environmental Sociology at Politecnico di Torino, where she teaches Urban Sociology and Methodologies for Social Inclusion and Participation. She holds a PhD in Sociology and her research focuses on issues of urban change and gentrification, migrations, socio-spatial stratification and inequalities; she specializes in qualitative, ethnographic and mix-method approaches.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.polito.it/en/staff?p=magda.bolzoni
Full ProfessorMarta Bottero
Marta Bottero is full professor in Planning Evaluation and Project Appraisal at the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning of Politecnico di Torino (Italy), where she teaches Urban Management, Multicriteria Analysis and Environmental Assessment. She holds a degree in Environmental and Land Engineering and a PhD degree in Geo-Environmental Engineering. Her scientific interests mainly focus on methodologies, techniques and tools for supporting sustainability assessment of urban and territorial transformations.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.polito.it/en/staff?p=marta.bottero
Assistant ProfessorCaterina Caprioli
Caterina Caprioli is an Assistant Professor with time contract in Project Appraisal and Planning Evaluation at the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy. She is part of the research group VALIUM (Valuation for Integrated Urban Management). Her research interests include the application of mixed and spatial evaluation methods, revealed preference and stated preference methods, and dynamic models to support sustainable urban and territorial transformations and planning.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.polito.it/en/staff?p=039126
Associate Professor Giancarlo Cotella
Giancarlo Cotella is Associate Professor of spatial planning at Politecnico di Torino. He engages with comparative spatial governance and planning studies in Europe and beyond, dedicating particular attention to the processes and mechanisms aimed at the attribution of territorial transformation and land use rights. Since 2023, he serves as Secretary General of AESOP, the Associations of European Schools of Planning.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.polito.it/en/staff?p=giancarlo.cotella
ResearcherSofia Kessopoulou
Sofia Kessopoulou is a Researcher and a PhD candidate at the Department of Planning and Regional Development (DPRD) of the University of Thessaly (UTh). She is a graduate of the DPRD and holds an MSc in Urban Planning. She has been a member of the Research Unit for Infrastructure, Technology Policy, and Development (DPRD, UTh), since 2007 and of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of the University of Thessaly, since 2009. She has participated in more than 25 European or national research and educational projects. Her main research interests include entrepreneurship, marketing, social economy, environmental planning, environmental impact assessment, infrastructure.
Tomasz Mikołajczyk
Tomasz Mikołajczyk works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of the Built Environment and Spatial Policy. He is engineer in the field of Spatial Managment. His scientific interests are focused on spatial planning and social participation. He also works as an urban planner, where he prepares planning documents for municipalities and is responsible for public consultations.
Assistant ProfessorMarta Nalej
Marta Nalej works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences, at the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation. She is geographer and engineer in the field of geodesy and cartography. In her research she is mainly focused on GIS, spatial data and spatial analysis especially on issues related to Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) and land cover studies. She also applies GIS and spatial analysis methods in tourism research.
Katarzyna Leśniewska-Napierała
Katarzyna Leśniewska-Napierała works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of the Built Environment and Spatial Policy and cooperates with Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (Portugal). In her research she is mainly focused on rural areas, social aspects of spatial planning and the use of qualitative methods in geographic sciences. She participated in educational and research projects, both Polish and international.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katarzyna-Lesniewska-Napierala
Tomasz Napierała
Tomasz Napierała has been affiliated with the Faculty of Geographical Sciences at University of Lodz (Poland) since 2003. Additionally, he collaborates with the CiTUR – Centre for Tourism Research, Development, and Innovation (Portugal). His research focuses on the spatial dynamics of competition (including prices), as well as attractiveness, sustainability and spatial justice of tourism destinations. In the years 2020-2024, he proudly served as the Secretary General of the Polish Geographical Society.
Research Grant Holder Luca Pinnavaia
Luca Pinnavaia is a research grant holder at Politecnico di Torino. He works as a consultant and expert in the field of urban regeneration and territorial strategies for public and private bodies. He practices public participation through the design and implementation of participatory processes and public engagement actions. He is co-founder of Khora Laboratory in Modena and of the association Infiorescenze in Trentino-Alto Adige. He holds a degree in Architecture and a post-graduate degree in Urban Regeneration and Social Innovation.
Link to official website, showing longer bio, CV and publication list: https://www.khoralaboratory.eu
Laboratory Teaching Staff Petros Rodakinias
Petros Rodakinias is part of the Laboratory Teaching Staff at the Department of Planning and Regional Development (DPRD) of the University of Thessaly (UTh). He graduated from DPRD (UTh) and has been a member of the Research Unit for Infrastructure, Technology Policy and Development, since 1996 and a member of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of UTh, since 2009. He has extensive experience as a researcher in more than 35 European or national research projects. His research interests focus on entrepreneurship, social economy, new technologies, and blended space.
Tadeusz Pupar
Tadeusz Pupar works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of the Built Environment and Spatial Policy. He obtained a master’s degree in Spatial Planning and Organization, with a specialization in Urban Management and Sustainable Development. His academic pursuits are focused on study of morphology and morphogenesis of settlement units.
Member of SEMPXPAGiorgos Somarakis
Giorgos Somarakis is member of SEMPXPA. He is Planning and Regional Development Engineer (University of Thessaly) and holds a PhD on ‘Integration of participatory methods in an online decision support system for spatial and developmental planning problems management’ (National Technical University of Athens). He has participated in international (funded by EU or EEA) and national research projects; published his work in scientific books, journals and conference proceedings; and edited/reviewed scientific publications. His main research interests include spatial planning, sustainable development and resilience, climate change adaptation and mitigation, participatory decision making, geographic information systems and decision support systems.
Assistant Professor Anastasia Tasopoulou
Dr. Anastasia Tasopoulou is Assistant Professor of Urban Planning Policies at the University of Thessaly (UTh). She has participated in 15 research programs (Horizon2020, ERASMUS+, ESPON, INTERREG, Intelligent Energy Europe, among others) focusing on spatial planning, urban governance, institutionalized integrated energy-spatial planning, participatory planning tools / living labs, regional resilience, planning tradition/culture etc. She has extensive professional experience (over 70 studies). She is the author or co-author of 47 scientific papers. She is Vice President of the Board of the Hellenic Association of Urban and Regional Planners.
Laboratory Teaching Staff Anna Zygoura
Anna Zygoura is part of the Laboratory Teaching Staff at the Department of Planning and Regional Development of the University of Thessaly (UTh). She has degrees in Physics and in Business Administration and MSc in Social and Economic Studies for Far East Asia. She is a member of the Research Unit for Infrastructure, Technology Policy, and Development, since 2000, and of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of UTh, since 2009. She has extensive experience as a researcher in more than 30 European or national research and educational projects. Her research interests focus on entrepreneurship, marketing, social economy, infrastructure, and alternative tourism.