Dr. Naomi C. Hanakata has been appointed as one of the new Co-Editors of disP – The Planning Review, starting in 2025.

Founded in 1965 at ETH Zurich, disP is one of the longest-standing international journals in the field of spatial planning and urban design. With its expanded editorial team, disP aims to strengthen its role as a vibrant platform for cutting-edge research and meaningful academic exchange.

Dr. Hanakata will join a distinguished team of editors, including Dr. Daan Bossuyt (Utrecht University), Dr. Meike Levin-Keitel (University of Vienna), Dr. Gabriela Debrunner (University of Lausanne), Dr. Martina Schretzenmayr (ETH, Managing Editor), and Dr. David Kaufmann (ETH, Editor-in-Chief). Together, the new editors bring diverse expertise and fresh perspectives to shape the journal’s next chapter.

Her appointment reflects the growing recognition of the importance of advancing urban design and planning research that addresses the complexities of adaptation, resilience, and spatial transformation in rapidly changing environments.

Dr. Naomi Hanakata has been invited to give a talk at the Zürich Hönggerberg HIB E Open Space 2, hosted by Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (GTA) gta Digital, on 10th and 11th September, 2025. This symposium examines how urban futures have been imagined, constructed, and debated since the mid-20th century, tracing shifts from postwar planning to the Information Age and today’s AI era. It explores evolving narratives, archives, and technologies shaping how cities are studied, represented, and envisioned.

Her talk, titled “When has the future become urban?” explores how the future has been imagined through cities by examining three perspectives: aspirational futures, antithetical futures, and planetary futures. It highlights the role of urban design in giving material form to these visions—whether through monumental boulevards, modernist master plans, or infrastructural networks—showing how design mediates between symbolic aspirations and lived realities. The talk unsettles the assumption that the future is naturally urban, asking when and why this has become the default horizon for imagining global futures, whose interests are served by such framings, and what alternative imaginaries—rural, ecological, post-urban—might open different pathways toward more just and sustainable futures. 

As the new semester begins, we are excited to share that Dr. Naomi C. Hanakata will be teaching two dynamic modules that push the boundaries of urban design and planning.

1. AR5601 | Urban Design Theory and Praxis [Core module for MArch]

This core module provides a comprehensive and in-depth examination of the theories, methodologies, and praxis of urban design. It introduces key ideas that are instrumental in establishing the foundations of urban design, examining rationales and strategies for creating vital and lively urban spaces, and addressing pressing challenges facing urban design today and in the future. Students will engage with diverse topics, including urban form, density, diversity, identity, public space, community, and sustainability, while developing their own perspectives on contemporary urban design practice.

2. AR5952B | Designing with Energy [Elective module for MArch]

This module critically investigates the renewable energy transition and the role of local energy resources as a key parameter in urban planning practices. With a focus on Singapore’s current energy landscape, the course explores the potential of local energy production and examines real sites to understand the implications of energy on planning and design. Students will develop new planning scenarios and design solutions that engage with the possibilities of a just transition across different scales.

Both modules encourage students to think critically and creatively, equipping them with tools to address complex urban challenges in innovative and sustainable ways.

We’re excited to announce the official launch of the Urban Transitions Lab at the National University of Singapore, along with our new website and digital platforms!

The Urban Transitions Lab is a research and design hub that explores how different urban regions change and how we can guide that change toward more adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable futures. We investigate how people, places, and resources interact across scales and sectors in times of uncertainty. Bridging theory and practice, our work blends critical inquiry with design experimentation to co-create knowledge, prototypes, and strategies for urban transitions. Whether you're a researcher, student, practitioner, or simply curious about the future of cities, we invite you to connect with us.

Visit our website to explore our work and follow us for updates, events, and opportunities to collaborate.

Visit us at: www.urbantransitionslab.com

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