PhD Position in Urban Social Resilience, Sustainability and Planning Research Aalborg University in Denmark

Aalborg University is offering a fully funded PhD position in Sustainability and Planning Research, with a focus on urban social resilience from a systemic and planning-oriented perspective. The project explores the dynamic relationships between people, places, and material environments, and is part of a new interdisciplinary thematic research initiative addressing Urban Social Resilience. Key guiding perspectives include care ethics, participatory processes, and social innovation.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant research environment, collaborating closely with a Postdoc and another PhD student across the Department of Architecture, Design & Media Technology and the Department of Sustainability & Planning. The position also provides access to a wider research network spanning sustainability, planning, urban design, architecture, and industrial design.

The PhD project aims to address the challenge of developing urban social resilience in cities, focusing on how social actors, relations, and practices can gain agency in resilience-building processes through inclusive, collaborative, participatory, and planning-based approaches. The research is grounded in a socio-material planning and design perspective, where urban resilience is seen as an emergent quality produced through interactions between social dynamics, institutional frameworks, and material and spatial configurations.

Potential research activities include mapping and analysing actor landscapes, investigating methods and tools for facilitating urban transformation, analysing the mobilisation of social actors and communities, exploring climate- and nature-based interventions as catalysts for social resilience, and studying the development of public spaces as arenas for resilience-building. The project may adopt various disciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches within urban social resilience and planning, and is expected to further develop the research environment’s work with socio-material approaches, participatory and interactive planning, co-design, and co-production.

Applicants are expected to submit a preliminary research proposal (1–3 pages) outlining their initial research focus, design, and methodology. The empirical context is open, allowing candidates to propose urban contexts for their research.

To be eligible, applicants must hold a Master’s degree in sustainability and planning, urban studies, sustainability and design, geography, or a related discipline. Experience with qualitative, participatory, and design-oriented research methods—including co-design or co-production—is highly valued. The ideal candidate is motivated to work in interdisciplinary environments and collaborate with a wide range of urban stakeholders, including planners, designers, and public sector actors. Curiosity, independence, and initiative are essential qualities.

The position offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment, opportunities for scholarly publication, public communication, teaching, and involvement in Aalborg University’s planning and urban design programmes. The PhD stipend is for three years and includes salary, tuition, and support for research activities. Enrollment at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design is required, along with completion of PhD courses (30 ECTS), teaching experience, and an external research stay (3–6 months) at a foreign institution.

Applications must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system. Required documents include a statement of motivation, CV, diplomas, project description, and other relevant materials. The university values diversity and encourages applications from all backgrounds. The assessment process includes shortlisting and may involve a risk assessment. For questions, contact Søren Kerndrup or Lisbeth Diinhoff.

Deadline for applications is 15 August 2026. For more information and to apply, visit the official vacancy link.