SSIIM Unesco Chair Research Unit working on URGENT Project is composed as follows:

Laura Fregolent, PhD in Sciences and methods for European cities and territory, Associate professor of Urban Planning at the Department of Design and Planning in complex environments of the University IUAV of Venice. Her main research studies are focused on urban sprawl and interactions between territorial transformations, social dynamics and planning tools.

Giovanna Marconi, PhD in Regional Planning and Public Policies (2012), Master degree in Urban Planning in Developing Countries (2002), researcher at University Iuav of Venice’s SSIIM Unesco Chair since 2008. The main focus of her research being south-to-south international migration, transit migration and urban inclusion of international migrants, she participated in many international research projects on the urban governance of international migration and is author of several scientific articles and book chapters on these issues.

Elena Ostanel, PhD in Regional Planning and Public Policies (2012), Researcher at Iuav’s SSIIM Unesco Chair since 2009. Her past research has focused mainly on policy analysis in the city of difference, involving the EFI-UE funded project ‘Mediare.com’ and the Project of National Interest (PRIN) ‘Small-size cities and social cohesion: the social and spatial inclusion of international migrants’. She is now researching on social innovation and urban regeneration in deprived neighbourhoods