Frank Moulaert


Frank Moulaert is Professor of Spatial Planning at the Department of Architecture, Urban Design and Regional Planning at Catholic University of Leuven. He is Director of the Urban and Regional Planning Research Group and chairs the Leuven Space and Society Research Centre at the University. He is also a Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University.
Moulaert has initiated a number of research and development projects on social innovation in territorial development. He has extensively published on the subjects related to globalisation, Institutionalism, territorial innovation, social economy, social polarisation, social exclusion, integrated area development, regional development, European governance, and socioeconomic networking. Other areas of his interest include evolutionary theory and the ecology of nature parks. He is fluent in 6 European languages and have published a number of works in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish language.
Most of his recent works reflect a growing focus on urban development as well as the institutional dynamics of social innovation and social exclusion implying the need to include the cultural dynamics, artistic activities, and social economy organizations and associations into the social policy and planning arena.

Recent activities

Moulaert graduated in Business Administration from the Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius, Antwerp, Belgium in 1971. Subsequently, he studied for Masters in Economics at the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium and then in 1977 in Regional Science from University of Pennsylvania, Department of Regional Science. In 1979, he received PhD in Regional Science at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, U.S..
He is married to Greet Debucquoy and has three children Pieter, Stijn, and Elke. When he is not travelling, he settles in his house in the small West Flanders' town of Kortrijk.

Academic career

From time to time, between 1974 until 1983, Moulaert was engaged as Research and teaching assistant in regional economics, Centrum voor Economische Studi‘n at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. In between, he also worked as Research and teaching assistant for Regional Science Department at University of Pennsylvania, and Peace Science Department. He was Associate Professor at Limburgse Economische Hogeschool, Diepenbeek.

At University of Lille I (USTL)

In 1987 he moved to , Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Lille, France as Associate Professor in Economics and remained Professor of Economics between 1994-2002. His other capacities at University of Lille I include:
Between 2002 and 2007, he remained Professor of European Planning and Development at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He also led the research themes on Regeneration, Social Innovation and Inclusion at Global Urban Research Unit. Additionally, he held the positions of:
Since 2007, he has been working at the Faculty of Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. He chairs the Leuven Space and Society Research Centre and is head of the Research Group on Urban and Regional Planning at the Department of Architecture, Urban Design and Regional Planning. He also coordinates the European Spatial Development Planning network.

European social science research

Moulaert is an active figure in European Research Networking in social sciences. He is credited for having conducted 15% of all research projects in Social-science and Humanities for three European Commission Framework Projects combined. Among the many successful social science projects coordinated and steered by Moulaert, some include:

Edited Books