I am currently Associate Research Professor at CES (University of Coimbra), and Long-Term Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic of Turin (September 2025-June 2026). I am co-founder and current chair of the Urban Transition Hub (UTH) and board member of CES’ Social Movements Research Network. In 2019 I have been among the founders of the Portuguese National Network for Housing Studies (Rede H), which I chaired until 2022. I have been visiting researcher at the Ben-Gurion University (Israel/Palestine, 2012) and at the University of Turin (Italy, 2018). In 2015, I received the Italian National Scientific Habilitation (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale, ASN) in Geography. The common thread running throughout my scholarly work in the field of human and political geography is the interest for the territorial and spatial dimension of politics, sustainability, and governance. My research stems from an academic interest for urban planning and housing as pivotal component of sustainable transitions; from my commitment to social justice and an ideal of democratic urban governance; and from my personal engagement with grassroots organizations operating in the social, cultural and political spheres. Within this perspective, I have conducted investigations on a range of different topics, including Israel’s settlement policy; the role of knowledge and expertise in policymaking; divided cities and planning conflicts; urban social movements; urban planning and housing policy. My work is rooted in a perspective influenced by critical urban studies, phronetic political science, interpretive policy analysis, and practice theory; and aims at achieving impact by addressing pressing social issues through establishing cooperative partnerships with key policy actors. Throughout my career I have received research funding through competitive bids from the Portuguese FCT, the EU Commission (including two large FCT research grants as PI, for a total of over €400,000), as well as several small grants for the organization of scientific events. My research has originated peer-reviewed articles (most of which as first or sole author) published by some the major academic journals in the field of human geography, planning, urban studies (such as Political Geography, Urban Studies, Environment and Planning A, and the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research); in books published by respected international publishing houses (Indiana University Press and Jovis Verlag); and in tens of book chapters, short essays, and policy reports. I have accumulated substantial teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level – as teaching assistant, lecturer, and mentor, as well as guest lecturer in academics institutions in Portugal and Italy; and as member of the Scientific Council and of of the Coordination Committee of the PhDprogramme in Development Studies (University of Lisbon, 2023-2025). As UTH chair, I have contributed to develop the UTH Early-Career Workshop in Urban Studies, which in the last few years has consolidated its status among the main academic events directed to young scholars working in the field. I am currently working on 3 main research projects. As PI of the project LOGO (2023-2026, total budget €250,000), I am investigating the introduction of local housing plans in the Portuguese system and its impact on the governance of the sector – and especially in the light of the social, economic, and environmental unsustainability of the past policy trajectory. The project DASH (2023-2026, €670,000) is a collaborative project established between Portugal, Germany, Denmark, and Serbia to foster cross-sectoral and cross-country exchanges on affordable and sustainable strategies for the provision of affordable housing. The pilot project Arroios Rebelde (2022-2025, self-funded).