The Planning and Design Lab stands as a dedicated unit to support cities, institutions, and governments in advancing innovative and context-sensitive planning and design processes. Our mission is to guide and accelerate the transition from conventional to progressive urban development frameworks, ensuring that planning responds effectively to the challenges and opportunities of contemporary urban life.
The Lab plays a key role in supervising and facilitating planning processes, introducing tailored guidelines, and building institutional and professional capacities where needed. We promote new approaches, principles, and tools that align with international standards while remaining responsive to local realities. In politically sensitive contexts, the Lab acts as a neutral and professional counterbalance, providing evidence-based expertise and structured guidance.
Recognizing the complexity of today’s urban environments, the Lab helps bridge the gap between emergency response and long-term development strategies. It also addresses emerging urban dimensions, including the governance and spatial dynamics of city-regions and metropolitan territories.
In this capacity, the Planning and Design Lab should be understood not only as a technical support mechanism, but as a Strategic Unit for Transformative Urban Planning—designed to rethink and reshape how planning is conceived, managed, and implemented in our cities. Through this work, we aim to foster inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking urban development grounded in spatial justice and sustainability.