Dr Philipp Horn

Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Senior Lecturer

Philipp Horn profile photo
Profile picture of Philipp Horn profile photo
p.horn@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6938

Full contact details

Dr Philipp Horn
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Room D19
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
Profile

I have a BA in Politics and Economics from the University of Mannheim and an MA in Development Studies from the University of Manchester. My PhD focused on the role of indigenous rights in urban policies and planning in a context of constitutional changes that have taken place in Bolivia and Ecuador. I completed my PhD in Planning at the University of Manchester in 2015.

I joined the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in February 2018 having previously worked as postdoctoral research associate at the Open University.

Dr Philipp Horn talks about Sheffield as a city to learn in
Research interests

My research interests centre around inclusive urban development planning in the global South, with a regional focus on Latin America. My work is highly interdisciplinary and engages with debates in urban studies, planning, geography and global development. It also tries to actively influence international policy debates, particularly those around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda. Within this broad agenda, my research focuses on two interrelated areas: (1) urban indigeneity and (2) citizen-led and participatory planning.


Urban indigeneity

In post-colonial societies indigenous peoples have been historically constructed as inferiors, often excluded from urban life and citizenship rights. Rapid urbanisation in the 20th and 21st century has not led to significant changes in such trends. Focusing particularly on the Latin American region, and especially on Bolivia and Ecuador, my research documents emerging patterns of indigenous urbanisation and looks at the everyday lived experience of urban indigenous peoples. Through direct engagement with indigenous activists and local authorities, my research examines opportunities and
challenges around integrating specific interests, demands and rights-based claims of indigenous peoples into urban policies and planning interventions.


Citizen-led and participatory planning

While current city-wide spatial planning approaches might be useful in designing urban development plans and visions, they often do not sufficiently consider the resources, investments, and specific interests of low-income groups and other marginalised communities. My research examines to what extent and how participatory and citizen-led approaches to planning might provide solutions to this problem. As part of this work, I have conducted research with indigenous communities in Latin America and, more recently, organised slum dweller groups in Africa and Asia.

Publications

Books

Edited books

  • Casagrande O, Horn P & Torrico Carvajal W (Eds.) (2023) Nuestras luchas cuentan: el poder del lideres mujeres indigenas y afrobolivianas de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. La Paz: Instituto de Investigación y Acción para el Desarrollo Integral. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P, Alfaro d'Alencon P & Duarte Cardoso AC (Eds.) (2018) Emerging Urban Spaces. Springer International Publishing. RIS download Bibtex download

Journal articles

Chapters

Book reviews

Theses / Dissertations

  • Horn P (2015) Indigeneity, Constitutional Changes and Urban Policies: Conflicting Realities in La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador. RIS download Bibtex download

Working papers

  • Horn P, De Carli B, Habermehl V, Lombard M, Roberts P & Tellez Contreras LF (2021) Contested Territories: Lessons from Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Conflict, Resistance and Alternatives in Latin America. Contested Territories Working Paper Series, 1. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P, Kimani J, Makau J & Njoroge P (2020) Scaling participation in informal settlement upgrading : a documentation of community mobilisation and consultation processes in the Mukuru Special Planning Area, Nairobi, Kenya. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mitlin D, Bennett J, Horn P, King S, Makau J & Masimba Nyama G (2019) Knowledge matters : the potential contribution of the co-production of research to urban transformation. Global Development Institute Working Paper series, 2019-039. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P, Mitlin D, Bennett J, Chitekwe-Biti B & Makau J (2018) Towards citywide participatory planning: emerging community-led practices in three African cities. Global Development Institute Working Paper Series, 2018-034. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P & Moser C (2011) Understanding the tipping points of urban violence: Conceptual framework. Understanding the tipping points of urban conflict Working Paper Series, 1. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P, Stein A & Moser C (2011) MDGs and assets. Global Urban Research Centre Briefing Paper, 1. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Horn P & Nolte D (2009) Verfassungspopulismus und Verfassungswandel in Lateinamerika. Giga Focus, 2. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Interested in PhD studies?

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who have interests in the following areas:

  • Breaking group inequalities in cities;
  • Indigenous urbanisation;
  • Participatory planning in cities of the global South;
  • Land rights and peri-urban land conflict;
  • Urban expansion and extended urbanisation.
Teaching activities

I currently contribute to the following modules:

  • TRP108 Information & Communication Skills
  • TRP628 Planning for Informality
  • TRP6019, Governance and Participation in the Global South
  • TRP6406, Dissertation

In 2020 due to the Covid pandemic we ran an international fieldtrip virtually. This short blog details this experience and our insights from this. A second blog, 'Experiential planning education with Southern partners', reflects on the (post)COVID “global” University.