Dr. Alexander Wandl is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). He is a member of the Environmental Technology and Design section within the Department of Urbanism and serves on the steering group of the Circular Built Environment Hub, TU Delft’s think tank on circular built environments. Dr. Wandl completed his PhD in Urbanism at TU Delft, where his research focused on the sustainable spatial development of peri-urban areas. He also holds a European Postmaster in Urbanism, a joint programme offered by TU Delft, IUAV Venice, UPC Barcelona, and KU Leuven, as well as a Master’s degree from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Austria.
His work centres on urban and regional planning, urban design, and environmental sciences, with a strong emphasis on spatial issues related to the transition towards a circular society. He employs an extended territorial metabolism approach, integrating methods and tools from urban planning and design, landscape architecture, and spatial data science. His multiscale approach to sustainable urbanism addresses challenges at various spatial levels, contributing to both academic knowledge and practical advancements in the field. In recent years, his research and teaching have focused on the spatial dimension of circularity transitions in cities and regions, particularly the sustainable development of dispersed urban areas and peri-urbanisation processes in Europe.
Dr. Wandl’s research addresses territorial metabolism, infrastructure resilience, and spatial strategies required to create sustainable cities and regions. His contributions have been recognised through several EU-funded research projects, including those focused on integrating circular principles into urban design and advancing the transition of cities towards regenerative systems.
Before his academic career, Dr. Wandl was actively involved in local politics and public participatory processes in Vienna, collaborating with citizens and local stakeholders to shape urban development projects. This practical experience has profoundly influenced his approach to participatory urban design, underscoring the importance of collaboration in addressing urban challenges. His deep understanding of public engagement continues to inform his research, in which he frequently advocates for participatory approaches in urban development processes.