Dr. Alessandro Busà

Alessandro Busà is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the SGGE of the University of Leicester, UK.

His current MSCA project "SUSTEUS” explores the socioeconomic impact of environmentally sustainable redevelopment plans on communities housed in social housing estates in EU and US cities.

Alessandro holds a PhD in Theory of Urban Planning from the Technical University of Berlin. He has been a fellow at the TGK Transatlantic Graduate Research Program Berlin – New York of the Center for Metropolitan Studies, and a visiting scholar at GSAPP of Columbia University. His book titled “The Creative Destruction of New York City” was published by Oxford University Press in 2017.

His recent research focuses on speculative geographies of green investment and on the uneven impacts of finance-mediated greening initiatives in cities and urban regions.

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2020-2023, University of Leicester
EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Global Fellowship (Principal Investigator, 2020-2023, €271.732) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment. Title of the research project "SUSTES: Assessing the socio-economic impact of environmentally sustainable redevelopment plans on communities housed in social housing estates in EU and US cities".

2014, Technical University of Berlin and Columbia University, New York
Doctoral Degree (Dr.-Ing.) in Theory of Urban Planning Advisors: Enrico Gualini (ISR Institut für Stadt- und Regionalplanung, Technical University of Berlin), Robert Beauregard (GSAPP Columbia University, New York City). Dissertation: “City Producers, City Consumers. The rezoning and branding of New York City under the administration of Michael R. Bloomberg (2002-2013).” DNB: 1058562789

2008-2010, Technical University of Berlin
DFG (German Research Foundation) Doctoral Fellowship, Center for Metropolitan Studies Berlin, Transatlantic Graduate Research Program Berlin/New York

2006-2007 and 2008-2009, Columbia University of New York
Visiting Scholar at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), Department of Urban Planning, New York City, USA.

PUBLICATIONS

Books
Busà, A. (2017). The Creative Destruction of New York City: Engineering the City for the Elite. Oxford University Press.
https://www.creativedestructionofnyc.com/

Book chapters

Busà, A. (2022). Urban Greening and Green Gentrification. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_163-1
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_163-2

Busà, A. (2012). Rezoning Coney Island: A History of decline and revival, of heroes and villains at the “People’s Playground. In: De Sena, Judith and Shortell, Tim eds.,The World In Brooklyn: Gentrification, Immigration, and Ethnic Politics in a Global City. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 147-185. Part of ISBN: 0739166700

Busà, A. (2010). New York City, New York. In: Robbins, Paul, Cohen, Nevin and Golson, J. Geoffrey eds., Green Cities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.
https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/greencities/n105.xml
DOI: 10.4135/9781412973816.n105

Busà, A. (2009). City of Memory. In: Ray Hutchinson ed., Sage Encyclopedia of Urban Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers, 158-161. https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/urbanstudies/n58.xml
DOI: 10.4135/9781412971973.n58

Busà, A. (2009). The New York World's Fair (1939/40). In: Ray Hutchinson ed., Sage Enclyclopedia of Urban Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers, 561-562.
https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/urbanstudies/n202.xml
DOI: 10.4135/9781412971973.n202

Busà, A. (2009). The City Beautiful Movement. In: Ray Hutchinson ed., Sage Encyclopedia of Urban Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers, 2009, 152-156.
https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/urbanstudies/n55.xml
DOI: 10.4135/9781412971973.n55

Busà, A. (2008). The City Re-Invented: Confronting Urban Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Era. In: 11th Planet Congress Warsaw 2007 ed., Top Down/ Bottom Up, 43-36.

Busà, A. (2006).  Vita e Morte delle Gallerie Commerciali Italiane. In: Giandomenico Amendola ed., La Città Vetrina. Milano: Liguori Edizioni, 38-56. ISBN: 8820740052

Busà, A. (2005). Der Weg zu einer modernen Architektur in einem Land, das von einer fortschrittlicher Pädagogik geprägt ist. In: Wüstenrot Stiftung ed., Bauen für Kinder. Stuttgart, Zurich: Karl Krämer Verlag, 200-242. ISBN 3-7828-1521-1

Papers in peer-reviewed journals

Busà, A. (2014). After the 125th Street Rezoning: The Gentrification of Harlem’s Main Street in the Bloomberg Years. Urbanities, Vol. 4. No.2, 51-68. ISSN: 2239-5725
https://www.anthrojournal-urbanities.com/docs/tableofcontents_7/6%20-%20Busa%20Art%20Final.pdf

Busà, A. (2014). Manhattan’s "Dirty Urban Landscapes". Streetnotes, 22. doi:10.5070/s5221019881

Busà, A. (2013). The unsustainable cost of sustainability: PlaNYC 2030 and the future of New York City. Critical Planning Journal, 20, 193–217. e-ISSN: 1522-9807
https://www.academia.edu/54815446/The_Unsustainable_Cost_of_Sustainability_PlaNYC_2030_and_the_Future_of_New_York_City

Busà, A. (2008). Renaissance der Mitte – Zentrumsumbau in London und Berlin. Urbanistica, Vol. 136, 122-123. ISSN: 0392-5005

Other publications (selection)

Busà, A. (2011). Rezoning Coney Island: The crisis of routine‐development and the struggles over the people’s Playground. In: Hunter College Department for Urban Affairs and Planning Depository

Busà, A. (2009). A Manifesto for Coney Island” ABSTRACT – Magazine of the GSAPP of Columbia University, (2008/2009): 261

Busà, A. (2009). Gli Ultimi Giorni di Firenze. FFF: Florence Fast Forward, 1: 11-19.

Busà, A. (2008). Palimpseststadt - City of Layers. Mu.dot (Magazine for Urban Documentation, Opinion, Theory), 8: 26-30.

Busà, A. (2008). XX Secolo: Firenze. D'Architettura, 36: 182-190.

Busà, A. (2007). Celebrations of Urbanity. The Urban Reinventors, 2:07 (2007).

Busà, A. (2007). Confronting Strategies of Urban Reinvention. The Urban Reinventors, 1:07 (2007).

Busà, A. (2007). Vita, Morte e Reinvenzione del Passage Italiano. ARCH'IT-Rivista Digitale di Architettura

Busà, A. (2006). La Reinvenzione della Memoria: un’Archeologia Berlinese tra Politiche di Rimozione e Strategie di Ricostruzione ideale della Memoria. Gomorra – Territori e culture della Metropoli Contemporanea, 10/06: 112-120

Busà, A. (2005). Le Ricostruzioni di Alexanderplatz. L’Architettura Cronache e Storia, 573: 534-538

Busà, A. (2005). 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: 110-119.

(2019) Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Global Fellowship (MSCA GF) "SUSTES: Assessing the socio-economic impact of environmentally sustainable redevelopment plans on communities housed in social housing estates in EU and US cities" (Principal Investigator, 2020-2023, €271.732)

(2018 and 2019) Seal of Excellence, EU Commission Horizon 2020. “Assessing the socio-economic impact of environmentally sustainable redevelopment plans on communities housed in social housing estates in EU and US cities”

(2008-2010) DFG (German Research Foundation) Fellowship, Center for Metropolitan Studies, Transatlantic Research Program Berlin/New York

(2004) Erwin Stephan Preis of the Technische Universität Berlin for best graduation marks and shortest duration of studies

(2001-2002) DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) International Program Fellowship

Selection:

(2022) “From Plattenbausiedlung to Garden City: Sustainable Social Housing Renewal in Drewitz, Germany”. Regional Studies Association (RSA) Regions in Recovery Second Edition 2022 conference / Energy transitions, environmental sustainability, and designing future cities and regions (March 29).

(2021) “Green Policy Imperatives and Financial Geographies of Greening: Challenges for Urban Gentrification Research”. Authoritarian Urbanism Session Series, Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut für kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (January 19).

(2020) “Greening as a Blueprint for the Gentrification of New York City?” One-day Symposium on Cross-Disciplinary Responses to Gentrification, Keele University (June 9). (2017) Keynote speech. “Smart, Green and Pricey: New York and the Quest for Sustainability.” IQ/The Economist Forum Innovative City. Klaipeda, Lithuania (May 24).

(2017) “The Creative Destruction of New York City.” Development in the Face of Global Inequalities Conference, Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals, Barcelona (May 11-13).

(2016) Keynote speech. “The Producers and Consumers of New York City”. 1st International Conference on Urban Planning - ICUP 2016, Niš, Serbia (November 18-19).

(2013) Guest lecture: “The Rezoning and Branding of New York City under the Mayoralty of Michael R. Bloomberg (2002-2013).”  Forschungskolloquium, Institut für Stadt- und Regionalplanung (ISR), TU Berlin (December 9).

(2012) Guest lecture: “The New Coney Island Between Development and Historic Preservation.” History Department, Fordham University, New York City (April 26).

(2010) “Where Utopia was born, and died: The Struggle for Coney Island and the Death of Utopia.” The Utopia of Tradition”, 12th Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE), Beirut (December 15-18)

(2010) Chair, “Discourses and Practices in Regeneration Policies and Anti Gentrification Efforts In London and New York City.” With Loretta Lees (King’s College London) and Tom Angotti (Hunter College, New York). Center for Metropolitan Studies, Technische Universität Berlin (July 6).

(2010) Guest seminar, “Urban Studies and Open Access Publishing”. Pratt Institute, Center for Planning and the Environment, Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. New York (May 18).

(2009) “New York’s City Producers, the Global Crisis, and the Green Way Out.” Confronting the Challenges of the Post-Crisis Global Economy and Environment, RGS-IBG Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers Annual International Conference, Manchester (August 26-28).

(2009) “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 (October 12-16).

(2009) “Visions for Florence.” Visions 9th International Conference for Architecture and Media. Florence (July 9).

(2009) Chair, “Responses to Environmental Catastrophes in Urban Settings.” The City and The State of Exception - 5th Annual Conference of the Transatlantic Graduate Research Program Berlin-New York. Berlin (June 4-6).

(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 (March 22-27).

(2008)  “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 20-26).

(2008) Guest Lecture, “Rediscussing Urbanity”. Fall Session 2008. Fordham University Law School. New York City.

(2008) “Urbanity Sells, and Comes from Above: Rezoning, Rebranding and Auctioning Harlem's Main Street.” 4th Annual Conference of the Transatlantic Graduate Research Program Berlin/New York, In Search of the Postfordist City:  Concepts and the Meaning of Urban Space and Society, New York (September 25 -27).

(2007) “The City Re-Invented: Confronting Urban Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Era.” Top Down/ Bottom Up, 11th PlaNet Congress. Warsaw (September 24)

MEDIA APPEARANCES, INTERVIEWS, BOOK READINGS AND PRESENTATIONS

(2017)  Radio Interview, Leonard Lopate Show, interviewed by DW Gibson, WNYC Radio, New York City, Sept. 6
https://www.wnyc.org/people/alessandro-busa/

(2017) New York Public Library Author Talks: "The Creative Destruction of New York," Alessandro Busà in conversation with Jerome Krase. New York Public Library, New York City, Wednesday, 20 September.

(2017) Book presentation, “Building Down, Tearing Up: Construction and Destruction in NYC Today”, presentation of The Creative Destruction of New York City: Engineering the City for the Elite, in conversation with Jeremiah Moss, Brooklyn Book Festival Book Event, 14 September.

(2017) Newspaper interview, “Kad sėkmė netaptų miesto prakeiksmu Skaitykite” (“When a City's Success Becomes its Curse”), IQ-The Economist Lithuania, July 16, 2017

(2012) Documentary film interview, “Berlino, la Mutante”, RAI Storia, Chiavi delle Città
https://www.cinemaitaliano.info/berlinolamutante

(2011) Newspaper interview, “Is Trendy East Berlin losing its Edge?” Interview on CNN International, February 16, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/16/berlin.gentrification/index.htmlhttp://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/16/berlin.gentrification/index.html

(2009) Newspaper interview, “Le Nuove Mura che Dividono. Ritorna il Castello degli Hohenzollern,” Liberal,  April 24th

(2008) Newspaper interview, “The Urban Reinventors: Reinventare la Città,” Il Giornale dell'Architettura 61

(2007) Newspaper interview, “Pochi gli stranieri nel Cantiere Milano” Il Sole 24 Ore, December 2

(2007) Newspaper interview, “Un'Archeologia Berlinese”  Liberazione, June 22