Neo-institutionalism and urban studies: behaviours, agency and complexity

This opening seminar launches a series of meetings dedicated to neo-institutionalist approaches in urban studies. Together with Malte Dold from New York University, the discussion will explore how agency, behaviour, and social norms are shaped, negotiated, and transformed within urban space. Rather than conceiving institutions as fixed systems of formal rules, the seminar approaches them as dynamic and spatially embedded processes emerging through everyday practices and interactions. Bringing together perspectives from behavioural economics, urban studies, and institutional theory, the seminar examines how complex urban environments influence learning, innovation, coordination, and social action.

Speakers: Anita De Franco, Politecnico di Milano; Malte Dold, New York University.

Coordinator: Anita De Franco

Contacts: anita.defranco@polimi.it