Fully funded PhD Belgium 30 days left

PhD researcher 'Co-design socio-ecological regeneration of social housing’

KU Leuven, Belgium

Institution: KU Leuven
Country: Belgium
Position type: PhD
Application deadline: 22 September 2026
Location: Leuven, Belgium
Funding: Fully funded position

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About this position

At KU Leuven, you will be part of the Urban Design, Urbanism, Landscape and Planning (UULP) research unit within the Department of Architecture. UULP aims to deepen our understanding of the key socio-ecological challenges of our time, including global urbanisation, climate change, migration, social inequality and the housing crisis. UULP focuses in particular on the constructive and critical role of design in addressing these challenges and navigating their complexity. The supervisor for this PhD position is Prof. Luce Beeckmans; the PhD will also be jointly supervised by professors from the other universities in RESHAPE. Limited teaching duties will be included in the Advanced Master’s in Human Settlements and the Advanced Master’s in Urban Design, Landscape and Planning, both linked to the International Centre of Urbanism.

Website unit

Project

Context: SBO project RESHAPE

We are looking for PhD researchers who wish to be part of the action research project RESHAPE (‘Destigmatising social housing through socio-ecological regeneration: leveraging the upcoming renovation wave for just housing transitions’), which is supervised by an inter-university team of professors comprising Prof. Luce Beeckmans (Department of Architecture and ‘Leuven Urban Studies Institute’, KU Leuven), Prof. Stijn Oosterlynck (CRESC, Department of Sociology and Antwerp Urban Studies Institute, University of Antwerp), Prof. Thomas Block (Department of Political Science, ‘Centre for Sustainability Studies’ and Stadsacademie, Ghent University), Prof. Liesbeth Huybrechts (Department of Architecture & Art and ‘Civic and Policy Design’, Hasselt University) and Prof. Bruno Meeus (‘Knowledge Centre for Social Innovation’, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences).

Set up as a participatory action research project in collaboration with residents of four large-scale post-war social housing estates – the type of estates most affected by negative perceptions and representing a significant proportion of housing stock – in Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Genk, as well as with social housing organisations and other urban stakeholders, RESHAPE investigates how the forthcoming wave of renovation in social housing can not only bring about the necessary transition to a climate-friendly neighbourhood, but also contribute to destigmatising social housing.

By imagining alternative futures and designing and implementing scenarios for socio-ecological regeneration, building on existing destigmatising work in social housing estates, RESHAPE aims to break open the captured future of social housing in Flanders.

RESHAPE is a strategic basic research project with a societal focus, funded by the FWO. As part of the RESHAPE project team, you will carry out action research alongside the other researchers, work on concrete project deliverables and applications, and contribute to academic output on the topic.

Four PhD researchers are being recruited for RESHAPE. The other vacancies can be found here:

https://www.ugent.be/nl/jobs/oap/doctoraatsbursaal-65

https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/jobs/vacatures/ap/?q=4495

https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60708848

Role

• You will actively work on the preparation and defence of a doctoral thesis on co-design in social housing.

This PhD research is being carried out within the RESHAPE project (see above) and supervised by the Urban Design, Urbanism, Landscape and Planning (UULP) research group of the Department of Architecture (Faculty of Engineering Sciences, KU Leuven), with Prof. Luce Beeckmans as your supervisor.

Central to your PhD research is the collaborative design of strategies and interventions that strengthen social housing both socially and environmentally, with the active involvement of residents and other relevant stakeholders. To this end, you will develop a stakeholder mapping for various social housing estates in Flanders and analyse co-creative and ‘futuring’ methods for co-design. Together with residents and other relevant stakeholders, and inspired by the analysis of destigmatising practices carried out by other researchers in the team, you will use research by design to develop new visions and scenarios for the socio-ecological regeneration of social housing beyond stigma, which will then be tested in workshops with a wider audience. This will result in an ‘Atlas of Scenarios’ and a ‘Co-Design Toolkit’ for the future regeneration of social housing.

• You will draw up a research plan and methodology in consultation with your supervisors and undertake the necessary administrative steps to ensure a smooth PhD process.

• You will conduct the research efficiently and to the appropriate standard, possibly abroad, and apply for funding to cover general or specific costs.

• You will report on your progress to your supervisor(s) and committees and present your research at academic conferences.

• You will defend your thesis in public and aim for publication in academic journals.

• As a member of the RESHAPE research team, you will take part in regular project meetings and provide scientific support for the research work carried out by the other researchers on the project.

Profile

• Master’s degree in Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Urban Design, Urban Planning and Spatial Planning, or related socio-spatial disciplines.

• You are a curious researcher with strong social awareness and imagination. You have a solid foundation in and/or interest in research by design and co-creative design processes involving residents and other urban stakeholders, gained through both practical experience and theoretical study.

• You have knowledge of social housing policy or are willing to explore it in depth. You have knowledge of the broader literature on housing, social inequality and urban diversity, or are willing to explore it in depth.

• A strong interest in combining both action research and fundamental scientific research within a PhD programme.

• The ability to carry out fieldwork independently whilst also collaborating constructively within an interdisciplinary research team.

• Sharp analytical skills, a social mindset and the right skills and competences to achieve valuable results.

• An excellent command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written (C2). Proficiency in other languages is a major advantage.

Offer

We are offering a full-time post as a PhD research fellow at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, KU Leuven.
The position will start on 1 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.
We offer you the opportunity to participate regularly in the activities of the research group and department.
We offer the opportunity to take part in academic activities as part of your work, as well as the chance to further your professional development through training and education.
As a PhD researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of training programmes and training credits via the Arenberg Doctoral School: https://set.kuleuven.be/phd
Your monthly stipend is calculated in accordance with the rates for PhD students set out in the pay scales for BAP. You will receive a bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of your commuting costs by public transport.

Interested?

• You can apply for this vacancy via KU Leuven’s online application platform until 22 September 2026. Please include a motivation letter and a PDF of your Master’s thesis and/or another relevant writing sample in Dutch and English.

• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview during the week of 5 October 2026. Interviews will be conducted in Dutch.

• If you have any questions regarding the role, please contact Luce Beeckmans ([email protected])

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

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Applications close 22 September 2026.