Roberto Rocco

Roberto Rocco serves as an Associate Professor of Spatial Planning and Strategy at TU Delft's Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, where he has worked since 2004. After completing his architectural training and master's in spatial planning at the University of São Paulo, followed by specialization at École d'Urbanisme de Paris and a PhD from TU Delft in 2008, he has established himself as a leading expert in urban governance and sustainability transitions. His teaching portfolio includes several key courses: he coordinates the Research and Design Methodology for Urbanism course, leads the Metropolitan Innovators program at AMS Institute, manages the TU Delft Summer School Planning and Design with Water, and directs the Urban Region Networks studio in the European Masters of Urbanism program. He also teaches in the PhD Graduate School course on Qualitative Research Methods and coordinates the Confronting Informality Symposium. His educational approach emphasizes problem-led, real-world issues in studio settings, focusing on regional planning, governance, spatial justice, and sustainable urban development in the Global South. As course coordinator for Metropolitan Innovators, he collaborates with various institutions to provide comprehensive education in urban innovation and sustainability. His teaching methodology incorporates critical thinking, design-based learning, and practical applications of planning theory, particularly in addressing complex urban challenges and informal urbanization issues.