Maarten van Ham

Maarten van Ham serves as Professor of Urban Geography and head of both the Urban Studies Research Group and Department of Urbanism at Delft University of Technology, while simultaneously holding a professorship at the University of St Andrews. His academic journey began at Utrecht University, where he earned his PhD with honors in 2002, followed by positions at the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, and the Max Planck Institute in Berlin. In 2006, he became Director of the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews, before taking on his current dual professorship roles in 2011. His research focuses on critical urban issues including socio-economic segregation, neighborhood effects, and urban inequalities. A highly influential scholar with over 110 published academic papers and 10 edited books, van Ham has made significant contributions to understanding global urban dynamics. His recent work includes the groundbreaking open-access book "Urban Socio-economic Segregation and Income Inequality: A Global Perspective," which examines segregation trends across 24 major urban regions worldwide. His research has revealed that rising inequalities lead to increased socio-economic segregation globally, with particularly concerning trends in high-income countries where segregation growth is accelerating. As Vice Dean of Architecture at TU Delft and a Research Fellow at IZA, van Ham continues to shape our understanding of urban dynamics, residential mobility, and neighborhood effects through his research and leadership.