Urban studies and planning research projects

Our research has been classed as 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent' with 'outstanding impacts' by the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

Migration, Urbanisation and Conflict in Africa

Understanding migration in the world's most rapidly urbanising region

Generating a better understanding of conditions under which migration combines with other factors to worsen urban conflict, and examining the consequences of this for urban peace and sustainability.

Addressing the gap

A road junction with stop sign in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa in poor condition
Downtown Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa (Credit: Mark Lewis)

Youth and the Work/Housing Nexus in Ethiopia and South Africa

A collaborative research project between the University of Sheffield (UK), The University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa) and The University of Hawassa (Hawassa, Ethiopia).

Examining the youth work/housing nexus

A dramatic sky of grey and yellow clouds over a town

Transcontinental Urban Citizenship: Crisis & Connection in Britain and Somalia

Exploring the experiences of multigenerational Somali communities in the UK and how this relates to transcontinental developments in Somalia.

Uncovering the experiences

View of Kelham Island, Sheffield

UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE)

The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) is a multidisciplinary partnership between academia, housing policy and practice.

Helping tackle UK housing problems

Rajaji Nagar View
Rajaji Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), a neighbourhood where many sanitation workers continued working throughout lockdown

Managing Covid-19 in India's Cities: Reshaping people's everyday lives in poorer urban neighbourhoods

Examining the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on people living in low-income neighbourhoods in three Indian cities (Ahmedabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram), tracing how disease control and welfare measures have reshaped livelihoods and state-society relationships.

Tri-city comparisons

Fargate Sheffield

Urban citizenship and informality: New dynamics in the context of global urbanisation

Based at the universities of Sheffield, York and Leeds, we're examining the relationship between informality and citizenship, supported by studentships exploring a truly global set of case studies.

Urban informality and citizenship

Research themes

Our world-leading research activities, discussions and debates are organised into a number of research themes which connect with and shape key debates in their fields.

World-leading research activity

Research archive

Review previous research projects, outputs and publications.

Explore previous urban studies and planning work