Publications
Revolution, evolution, progress: Finance & Space manifesto Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Financial geography has come of age: making space for intradisciplinary dialogue Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The gates of paradise are open Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Drawing on the example of the metro in Brussels, we examine public transport as a public space. We uncover how the conception of the metro and its fare system reflects an idealisation of public transport that conflicts with the daily experiences and structural inequalities among its users, manifested, in part, in fare evasion. We explore this practice through qualitative interviews, observational studies and analysis of online evader ...
From Bełchatów to Żory Vrije Universiteit Brussel
This article explores the recent and rapid development of fare-free public transport (FFPT) in local public transport networks across Poland. The question of pricing public transport, in particular the idea of abolishing fares, is gathering increased attention among academics, policy-makers and activists. Albeit the literature on FFPT is growing, it usually examines individual cases instead of offering a comparative analysis across large ...
Re/Building Brussels. The construction sector and the production of urban space, from 1695 until today Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Circular food imaginaries, policies and practices in Brussels Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Making(s) of an Alternative Urban Policy: What Happens When Free Fares Come to Town? Vrije Universiteit Brussel
While many urban policies and practices claim to offer an “alternative” to the “mainstream” of urban entrepreneurialism, they remain under-theorised and prone to alignment with entrepreneurial agendas. In this paper I examine fare-free public transport (FFPT) as a salient example of an alternative urban policy. Looking at Aubagne (France) and Tallinn (Estonia), I explore what happens when an alternative policy “comes to town”. I detect how ...
Beyond fear and abandonment: Public transport resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged urban public transport systems to maintain accessibility and service for daily users while adapting to local health and safety regulations. Developing sustainable and resilient urban policies under such crisis conditions requires understanding the different feelings, experiences and expectations of passengers and how these relate to socio-economic inequalities. Drawing on a mixed-method study ...
Asserting Europe's technological sovereignty amid American platform finance Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Spearheaded by major technology companies (Big Tech), digital platforms have rapidly become key infrastructures for accumulation under global financialized capitalism, with consumer convenience and underlying practices of data collection, control and analysis giving rise to platform finance. While financial institutions are partnering with financial technology (FinTech) start-ups to digitally enclose customers, American and Chinese Big Techs ...