Louis WASSENHOVEN

Louis Wassenhoven is Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning in the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece, where he was Full Professor from 1983 until his retirement in 2005, at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture. He was for 20 years Director of the NTUA Laboratory for Spatial Planning and Urban Development (SPUD). He still teaches occasionally both at NTUA and at the Harocopeion University of Athens. He studied architecture at NTUA and planning at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London. He obtained a PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London).

During 1972-82, he taught at the Development Planning Unit (DPU), Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College London (UCL), as a Lecturer and later Senior Lecturer and used to be a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He has participated in the “Bandung Project” of University College London in Indonesia. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Greek State Scholarships Foundation and was the first chairman of the Greek National Council for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development. In 1979-81, he was chairman of the Steering Committee of the Joint Activity on Urban Management of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He has directed a large number of research projects, funded from national sources, and has participated in several projects funded by the European Commission. He has written five books and a large number of articles and has produced a series of research reports on planning and spatial development.

Among the research projects he directed in Athens were several programmes funded by the Organization of the Master Plan and Environmental Protection of Athens on the redevelopment of the large industrial area of Elaionas in Athens and on the future use and development of the Hellinikon site of the international airport of Athens, which was relocated to a new site. He took part in European Commission research programmes on maritime spatial planning, territorial governance, and planning systems in Europe. A large part of his research activity was directed at assisting government policy making. After his retirement he has been busy writing books and doing occasional consultancy work at the local level.

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