Economic Geography

Our Economic Geography group is dedicated to tackling socio-economic disparities among regions and the people within them. Our understanding of regional development encompasses conventional economic metrics like income and employment, alongside broader concepts such as well-being, happiness, and regional identity. In our research, we analyze the opportunities and constraints presented by different places as manifested in labour market dynamics, mobility, real estate development, and entrepreneurship. Our goal is to advance the scientific understanding of these issues and to engage our students in these important topics through our teaching. Additionally, we actively participate in relevant public discourse and contribute to policy formulation.

Contact via secretary Jeannet Brondsema

Ballas, D. (Dimitris), Prof

Function

Professor of Economic Geography

Expertise

Economic Geography, Spatial Economics, Regional Science, Social and Spatial Inequalities, Happiness and Well-being, Migration, Spatial Microsimulation, Geoinformatics

Brondsema, J.T. (Jeannet)

Function

Management assistant Economic and Cultural Geography

Boisen, M. (Martin), MSc

Function

Lecturer

Expertise

Especially interested in perception, when spaces becomes places and how such processes are influenced by the strategy and governance of the marketing and branding of cities, regions and countries.In addition, interested in every aspect of the historical and contemporary position of cities in the world.

Brouwer, prof. A.E. (Aleid)

Function

Professor by special appointment

Expertise

Economic Geography; Broader Wellfare, (sustainable) entrepreneurship, regional development and resilience, ageing in place, vulnerable groups; quality of life and subjective wellbeing; living environment; digital inclusion, mixed methods.

Cnossen, F.D. (Femke), PhD

Function

Assistant Professor

Expertise

Labour economics, with a focus on technological change and labour markets, work and well-being, regional labour markets, and the transition from (vocational) education to the labour market.

Daams, dr. M.N. (Michiel)

Function

Assistant Professor and Theme Director

Expertise

Economic geography and real estate investment

Dijk, prof. dr. J. (Jouke) van

Function

Professor of Regional Labour Market Analysis (Faculty of Spatial Sciences)

O’Driscoll, C. (Conor), Dr

Function

Assistant Professor in Economic Geography

Expertise

I am an Economic Geographer and I study where people live and how this impacts everyday behaviours, labour market outcomes, and regional development. I use quantitative research methods in my research, and am broadly interested in the subjects of Economic Geography, Regional Science, Urban Economics, and Transportation Studies. I teach in the following courses: Statistics 1, Statistics 2, Quantitative Research Methods, and Economic Geography: Theory and Practice. I also supervise BSc and MSc theses as part of the BSc programme in Human Geography and Planning and the MSc programmes in Economic Geography and Real Estate Studies.

Duijn, dr. M. (Mark) van

Function

Associate Professor Regional Science and Urban Economics

Expertise

Spatial and urban economics: Housing; Location choice of households and commercial real estate; Urban (re)development; Neighbourhood dynamics

Christiaanse, dr. ir. S. (Suzan)

Function

postdoctoral researcher

Expertise

Co-design and study of geographies of consumption

Folmer, prof. dr. H.

Function

Economic Geography (Faculty of Spatial Sciences)

He, J. (Junyao), Dr

Function

Postdoctoral Researcher

Expertise

Spatial Planning, Digital Planning, Urban Design, Urban Governance, Platform Urbanism, Social Media, Power and Inequality, Agent-based Modeling, Complexity Science, Social Network Analysis, Machine Learning

Kampen, drs. P.R. (Peter) van

Function

Coordinator external collaboration (Northern NL & NW Germany)

Expertise

Regionale PPS-en, campus ontwikkeling en innovatie faciliteiten (infrastructuur en ecosysteem ontwikkelaar)

Koster, prof. dr. S. (Sierdjan)

Function

Professor in Economic Geography and Labour Market Dynamics

Expertise

Regional Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
Regional Labour Markets and Skills
Regional Socio-economic Disparities

Liu, X. (Xiaolong), Dr

Function

Assistant Professor in Real Estate

Expertise

property valuation, real estate finance and investment

Mawhorter, S.L. (Sarah), PhD

Function

Assistant Professor of Housing

Pot, dr. F.J. (Felix)

Function

Assistant Professor

Expertise

Transport & mobility
Regional development
Eurovision Song Contest

Rouwendal, H.J. (Harm-Jan)

Function

Postdoctoral researcher Economic Geography.

Expertise

Economic Geography
Regional labour market and skills

Sarker, M.M.H. (Monzer), PhD

Function

Postdoctoral Researcher

Expertise

Coastal Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, Social-Ecological Systems, Multi-Criteria Analysis

Sijtsma, dr. F.J. (Frans)

Function

UNESCO Chair Sustainable Landscape Governance, Education and Citizen Science / Associate Professor Faculty of Spatial Sciences

Expertise

Value of nature and landscape; Economics and space; Real estate and green; Evaluation ecology versus economy; Cost-Benefit Analysis, Multi-Criteria Analysis.

Tillema, prof. dr. ir. T. (Taede)

Function

Professor by special appointment in Transport Geography

Expertise

Within my professorship, I focus on research into the (perceived) accessibility and mobility patterns of residents of rural areas. More specifically, there are three lines of research within transport geography group: 1) perception of accessibility; 2) interaction mobility/accessibility between cities - rural areas; 3) smart mobility solutions for rural areas.

Venhorst, dr. V.A. (Viktor)

Function

Associate Professor

Expertise

Demography, Migration, Transition from Education to the Labour Market, Labour market dynamics

Vlist, prof. dr. ir. A.J. (Arno) van der

Function

Full professor

Expertise

Real Estate & Urban Economics, Public Economics, Land Economics, Real Estate Development, Affordable Housing, Housing Finance

Ziogas, A. (Thanasis)

Function

Postdoctoral researcher Economic Geography

Expertise

Happiness and Wellbeing
Applied Econometrics

PhDs

Arsani, A.M. (Ade), MA

Barachino, H. (Helena), MA MSc

Expertise

Graduate Employability, Labor Market Entry, Academinc Practice

Bay, F. (Franziska), Dr

Function

Postdoctoral researcher

Expertise

Labor Markets & Career trajectories,
Regional inequalities,
Organizational Psychology & Behavior,
Work design, Well-being

Biabani Moghaddam, H. (Hamidreza (Judah)), M

H. (Hamidreza (Judah)) Biabani Moghaddam, M

Function

PhD student

Expertise

I am working on contextualizing the "Green Transition" within the framework of Evolutionary Economic Geography (EEG). To achieve this, I initially focused on the role of green social capital in facilitating the transition. Currently, my research explores the impact of bonding and bridging social capital on the emergence and survival of green startups. In the next phase, I will incorporate an institutional perspective to deepen the analysis. Ultimately, my study will examine the geography of the Green Transition, emphasizing the intersection between local contexts and spatial interactions across regions, particularly in relation to regional disparities.

Chen, H., MSc

Function

PhD student

Expertise

Real estate economics and housing economics

Dahl, S.T., MSc

Danandjojo, Y.N.E. (Yescha), MSc

Function

PhD student

Expertise

urban infrastructure, value capture

Haring, E.F. (Emma) van der

Function

PhD student

Kema, I.P.S. (Steven), MSc

Function

PhD student

Expertise

Economic Geography, Regional labour markets, Data Science, Natural language processing (NLP), Machine learning

Konstantinis, A., MSc

Function

PhD student

Kooistra, M.L.T. (Marije), MSc

Kruijf, B.J. (Björn) de, MSc

Function

PhD student

Expertise

lifelong development; regional labour markets

Li, T. (Tiankun), MSc

Function

PhD student

Mansournia, dr. S. (Soran)

Function

PhD student

Expertise

I am an Urban Geographer & Human Rights Defender working at the intersection of urban studies, political geography, and the right to the city. My research connects academic inquiry with field-based & participatory work, with a particular interest in understanding how people experience, navigate, & contest urban space.

A central part of my work focuses on mapping lived experiences & personal narratives. I use participatory mapping, geospatial technologies & spatial analysis to bring together people’s stories and geographic information. I also design participatory methods and digital mapping platforms through which communities can contribute directly to the production of spatial knowledge.

My master’s thesis, Child in the City (Art University of Tehran, 2016), examined children’s experiences of urban environments through participatory mapping and graduated Cum Laude. I later completed a cotutelle PhD at the University of Groningen & University of Otago, New Zealand, where my research further developed participatory geospatial approaches to understanding children’s relationships with cities. This work received the 2025 Promising Geographer Award of New Zealand.

In May 2026, I was awarded an NWO Rubicon Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at Yale University. My current research examines Totalitarian Urbanism: how authoritarian and totalitarian regimes use urban planning, infrastructure, and the built environment to control public space & suppress demonstrations. I am particularly interested in how geospatial analysis and participatory mapping can help document the spatial dimensions of repression, resistance, & state violence.

My main research interests include Spatial Politics, Public Space, Advanced Spatial Analysis, Participatory Design, Urban Digitalisation, Political Geography & Human Rights.

For contact details and further information, please visit my Personal Website

Mei, Y., MSc