Research areas

Lab’URBA analyses the production of urbanised spaces — whether in metropolitan areas, rural regions, or small and medium-sized towns — as resulting from three main types of action.

The first concerns urbanisation, redevelopment, and the recycling of buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces.
The second relates to the uses and everyday practices that shape urban environments.
The third involves urban management, which ensures the proper functioning of these spaces.

These types of action can result from intentional and organised collective efforts, often framed by policies, procedures, and standards. They involve coordination and cooperation among various actors, are underpinned by public and private forces, and include key activities such as public policy-making, urban planning, design, and operational management.

However, these types of action can also arise from informal processes. The daily practices of city dwellers — as individuals or social groups — also shape urban spaces. These practices may be intentional or unintentional. Yet, through the aggregation of individual and group behaviours, they can lead to forms of collective action. In all cases, they contribute to the transformation of urban forms.

According to Lab’URBA, the socio-spatial, socio-technical, and socio-ecological dimensions of urbanised spaces — how they are developed, experienced, and managed — are shaped by the interaction of these different forms of collective action. This understanding lies at the core of the laboratory’s scientific programme.

Lab’URBA researchers explore these dynamics from two main perspectives: First, they study the actors involved — their roles, their decision-making processes, their tools, and their representations. Second, they analyse the effects of these actions on the urban environment, including impacts on urban functions, socio-technical and socio-ecological systems, and the spatial organisation of cities and territories. The aim is to analyse and theorise these forms of action. Researchers focus on their characteristics, how they evolve, their outcomes, and how they combine to shape the city.