
Alessandro Busà, Ph.D. | Urban Research
Urban Development and Urban Policy Studies, Theory of Urban Planning, Global and Comparative Urban Research
Alessandro Busà - Urban Research
ACADEMIC CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
▪ Ph.D. (Dr. -Ing.), Theory of Urban Planning, Technische Universität Berlin (January 2014)
▪ Visiting Scholar at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia
University in New York, Department of Urban Planning, invited by Prof. Peter Marcuse (September
2006- February 2009)
▪ Doctoral Degree Program in Urban Planning, Technische Universität Berlin, advised by Prof.
Enrico Gualini (ISR, Berlin) and Prof. Robert Beauregard (GSAPP Columbia University, New York)
(January 2008-present)
▪ Research Project of the CNR (National Research Council) “The Renaissance of the European
Shopping Arcade”, Florence (2006-2007)
▪ Research Project of the Wüstenrot Stiftung, Zürich / Ludwigsburg (2005-2006)
▪ Research Project of the University of Florence and CNR (National Research Council) "The
evolution of consumption patterns and its influence on the architectural landscape of major Italian
cities", Florence (2004-2005)
▪ Bachelor Degree in Architecture (BArch), University of Florence (Florentina
Studiorum Universitas) (1998-2001)
FELLOWSHIPS, ACADEMIC HONORS, GRANTS
▪ Erwin Stephan Preis of the Technische Universität Berlin, Academic Year 2003/04
▪ Goethe Institut Educational Development Fellowship, Academic Year 2003
▪ DAAD (Deutsches Akademisches Austausch Dienst) International Program Fellowship, 2001
RESEARCH AREAS
Critical urban theory; urban planning; architectural history; global and comparative urban,
metropolitan, suburban and regional development
PUBLICATIONS
▪ BOOKS
▪ BOOK CHAPTERS
Alessandro Busa', "The City Re-Invented: Confronting Urban Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Era",
in 11th Planet Congress Warsaw 2007 ed., Top Down/ Bottom Up. Warsaw, 2008, 43-36.
Polish Translation: "Miasto Odtworzone: Konfrontacja Miejskich Strategiii w Erze
Przedsiębiorczości", in 11th Planet Congress Warsaw 2007 ed., Top Down/ Bottom Up. Warsaw,
2008, 43-36.
Alessandro Busa', “Vita e Morte delle Gallerie Commerciali Italiane“ / “The Death and Life of Great
Italian Shopping Arcades“, in Giandomenico Amendola ed., La Città Vetrina. Milano: Liguori
Edizioni, 2006, 38-56.
▪ JOURNAL ARTICLES, ESSAYS (Selection)
▪ Peer-reviewed journal articles
Alessandro Busà, “Dirty Urban Landscapes”, Streetnotes, 22 (2014): 62-72.
Alessandro Busa', “La rinascita del Centro a Londra e Berlino: Book review of ‘Renaissance der
Mitte – Zentrumsumbau in London und Berlin”, Urbanistica, 136 (2008): 122-123.
▪ Other publications
Alessandro Busà, "A Manifesto for Coney Island", ABSTRACT – Magazine of the GSAPP of Columbia
University, 2008/2009 (2010): 261.
Alessandro Busà, "Gli Ultimi Giorni di Firenze", FFF: Florence Fast Forward, 1 (2009): 11-19.
“XX Secolo: Firenze“, d'Architettura, 36 (2008): 182-190.
Alessandro Busà, “Celebrations of Urbanity“, The Urban Reinventors, 2:07 (2007).
Alessandro Busà, “Confronting Strategies of Urban Reinvention“, The Urban Reinventors, 1:07
(2007).
Alessandro Busà, “Vita, Morte e Reinvenzione del Passage Italiano“, ARCH'IT-Rivista di
Architettura, (2007).
Alessandro Busa', “Un' Archeologia Berlinese“, Liberazione (Newspaper), June 22, (2007): 14
Alessandro Busa', “Metamorfosi di un Mito lungo un Secolo: l’ex Tacheles Areal a Berlin Mitte da
Spazio di Sopravvivenza della Cultura Off a Luogo del Consumo della Nuova Urban Class“, Gomorra
– Territori e culture della Metropoli Contemporanea, 08/05 (2005): 110-119
CONFERENCE TALKS, LECTURES
"Smart, Green and Pricey: New York and the Quest for Sustainability", Keynote speech, IQ Forum "Innovative City: Why Not Klaipeda?" in Klaipeda, Lithuania, May 24, 2017.
"The Rezoning and Branding of New York City under the Mayoralty of Michael R. Bloomberg (2002-2013)", Forschungskolloquium am Institut für Stadt- und Regionalplanung (ISR), TU Berlin. Berlin, December 9th, 2013.
"The New Coney Island Between Development and Historic Preservation", History Department, Fordham University. New York, April 26 th, 2012.
“New York’s City Producers, the Global Crisis, and the Green Way Out”, Confronting the Challenges
of the Post-Crisis Global Economy and Environment, Royal Geographical Society-Institute of
British Geographers Annual International Conference. London (UK), September 1st-3rd 2010
"Rezoning Coney Island: the Crisis of Routine-Development and the Struggles over the People's
Playground", Revitalising Built Environment - International Symposium IAPS CSB Housing
Network. Istanbul (Turkey), October 12th -16th 2009
"New York’s Routine-Development in Times of Crisis", Conference of the Royal Geographical
Society-Institute of British Geographers. Manchester (UK), August 26th -28th 2009
"Visions for Florence", Visions 9th International Conference for Architecture and Media. Florence
(Italy), July 9th -17th 2009
"City Producers, City Consumers and the Representation of the City in Bloomberg's New York",
Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). Las Vegas (Nevada), March
22nd -27th 2009
"A Manifesto for Coney Island", project presentation, "Imagine Coney: Bold Ideas for Coney
Island's Future", Metropolitan Art Society - Urban Center Galleries. New York (New York),
February 4th -March 12th 2009
"Rezoning New York City: Stadt-Produktion und Stadt-Konsum in Bloomberg's New York".
Forschungstag des Institut für Architektur (IfA). Berlin (Germany), May 27th 2009
"The Production and Consumption of Urbanity in Bloomberg's New York: The Rezoning Plan for
125th Street in Harlem", Mid-Atlantic Popular American Culture Association Conference. Niagara
Falls, Ontario (Canada), October 20th – 26th 2008
" The Top-Down Production of Urbanity in Bloomberg's New York", BUKO Konferenz
(Bundeskoordination Internationalimus) 'The Right to the City: Soziale Kämpfe in der
Neoliberalen Stadt'. Berlin (Germany), April 11th -13th 2008
"The Production of a New Urbanity in Bloomberg's New York", Forschungskolloquium, Center for
Metropolitan Studies. Berlin, May 22nd 2008
"So Far, So Close: Similarities and Differences in Entrepreneurial Strategies of Urban Development
in Berlin and New York", Forschungskolloquium der Abteilung Politik , JFK Institut FU Berlin.
Berlin, January 29th 2008
"The Production of Urbanity in New New York", Forschungskolloquium der Abteilung Planungsund
Architektursoziologie, TU Berlin. Berlin (Germany), January 22nd 2008.
"The City Re-Invented: Confronting Urban Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Era", Top Down/
Bottom Up, 11th PlaNet Congress. Warsaw (Poland), September 24th 2007
GUEST LECTURES, SEMINARS AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Lecturer, Patterns of Socio-spatial Restructuring in Bloomberg's New York, course "Planung als
Politischer Prozess” by Prof. Enrico Gualini, Institut für Stadt- und Regionalplanung der
Technischen Universität Berlin. Berlin, 2013
External Reviewer, Designing the City, Urban Design course by Jeffrey Schumaker, Urban Studies
Department at Fordham University. New York, May 3rd 2008
External Reviewer, Radical Urbanism course by Nina Rappaport, School of Architecture, Syracuse
University in New York Program. New York, May 5th, 2008
Urban Studies and Open Access Publishing, guest seminar at Pratt Institute, Center for Planning and
the Environment, Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. New York, April 2008
Rediscussing Urbanity, guest lecturer at Fordham University, Law School. New York, October 2008
La Reinvenzione della Memoria: le Vicende del Palast der Republik a Berlino, seminar of the
European Community Educational Project. Florence, March 2006
Reinventing the New Berlin Downtown, guest seminar at Università Normale di Pisa, Facoltà di
Scienze Politiche. Pisa, May 2006
INTERVIEWS
"Kad sekme netaptu miesto prakeiksmu" / "When the success of a city can become its curse", IQ - The Economist, May 23, 2017
“Berlino, la Mutante”, RAI Storia, Chiavi delle Città, March 3, 2012.
"Is Trendy East Berlin losing its Edge?". CNN Edition: International, February 16, 2011.
"Gentrifizierung macht auch vor der TU nicht halt", TAZ Die Tageszeitung, Juli 8, 2010
"Le Nuove Mura che Dividono. Ritorna il Castello degli Hohenzollern", "Liberal", April
24th, 2009
"The Urban Reinventors: Reinventare la Città", "Il Giornale dell'Architettura", N. 61,
April 2008
"Pochi gli stranieri nel Cantiere Milano", "Il Sole 24 Ore", 2-12-2007.
EDITORIAL AND ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
Editorial Board, Journal of Biourbanism (2010- present)
Scientific Committee, International Society of Biourbanism (2010- present)
Founder and editor-in-chief, The Urban Reinventors (2007- present)
ACTIVITY OF VISUAL DOCUMENTATION ON URBAN ISSUES
FILM SCREENINGS
2014 The CityPossible III Festival, Singapore, November 6, 2014
2012 Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi, Istanbul, Turkey, September 12, 2012
2010 Exhibiting Capitals: Berlin and Beyond, 41st Anniversay Convention NeMLA, Montreal,
Quebec, April 7-11, 2010
2009 Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, TU Berlin, June 13, 2009
2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). Las Vegas, March
22-27, 2009
2009 "Lumpen-City: Discourses of Marginality | Marginalizing Discourses", Interdisciplinary
Conference at York University. Toronto, March 12-13, 2009
2009 Conference " Diversity in Place: Making Documentaries on the Multicultural City",
Globalization Research Center, Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning. Honolulu, Hawaii,
April 24, 2009
2009 "Warsaw-Berlin Cities in Transition", theatrical event, Urbanophil - Netzwerk für urbane
Kultur. Berlin, July 5, 2009
2009 Conference "The City from Below". Baltimore, US, March 27-29, 2009
2008 Panel Discussion, Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte. Berlin, July 4, 2008
2008 Conference “The Right to the City: Soziale Kämpfe in der Neoliberalen Stadt”, BUKO
(Bundeskoordination Internationalimus). Berlin, April 11-13, 2008
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
▪ English language: excellent in reading, speaking and writing
- EPT Exam at Columbia University (grade 10x). New York, 2007.
- Advanced English Exam at the Center of English Studies. Level Advanced, grade A. Dublin, 2004
▪ German language: excellent in reading, speaking and writing
- Goethe Institut Placement Test. Level advanced: Note 1,0. Berlin, 2003
- Goethe Institut Intensivlehrgang (Oberstufe). Berlin, 2003
- D.S.H. Sprachprüfung ZEMS, Technical University Berlin, 2001
▪ Italian language: native language.