Simon De Boeck is a Visiting Scholar in the Urban Expansion Program at the NYU Marron Institute and a PhD researcher in Urban Planning at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. His research focuses on the global circulation and local adaptation of transformative planning concepts, with comparative case studies in Barcelona, Medellín, and New York. 

Alongside his doctoral work, Simon has gained experience through international workshops and research stays in Spain, Colombia, Tanzania, and South Africa. These experiences inform his supervision of master’s theses on the implementation of new urban planning paradigms in European cities.

Before starting his PhD, he practiced as an architect, worked as a cabinet advisor to the Belgian Minister of Spatial Planning, and served as Mayor of his hometown, where he led the implementation of planning and public space projects.

He holds degrees in Civil Engineering–Architecture from Ghent University and Human Settlements from KU Leuven, and collaborates with scholars and practitioners across Europe, Latin America, and North America on questions of urban transformation and public space design.