Thomas Machiels has a master’s degree in history (2016) and urban design and planning (2018) from the University of Antwerp, and studied one semester at City University of Hong Kong (2018).
Thomas joined the research group in 2018. He was a visiting researcher at the University of Michigan (Oct 2021-Mar 2022). He obtained his PhD in Urbanism and Spatial Planning in 2023 with the title Real options for real urban projects: Uncertainty and adaptive planning in complex spatial projects
Since September 2023, Thomas is a postdoctoral researcher and research leader, working projects about planning and financing for climate adaptation and nature-based solutions, including the EU Horizon project CLIMATEFIT (2023-2024), and the FWO-SBO InnoFiNS (current job).
Thomas teaches in the Master of Urbanism and Spatial Planning, and is an academic advisor in YUFE's Joint Bachelor in Urban Sustainability Studies.
Thomas is also a member of the GECORO in Hasselt (municipal commission for spatial planning).
For more: Google Scholar, LinkedIn
Favorite (place in the) city
Hong Kong.
A two-faced city, where east meets west, where space is scarce and every square inch counts, where life never stops. From the everlasting crowd between the uncountable skyscrapers ‘till the complete silence of the beautiful nature surrounding the city, after every corner a new discovery. More than ever a scene of tensions between its promised autonomy and China’s tightening grip.