Dr Stefania Fiorentino

BEng + MEng, PhD

Dr Stefania Fiorentino's research focuses on the intersection of urban planning and economic geography to identify more inclusive and innovative regeneration strategies and local economic development policy.

She examines urban and regional transformations and the way economic shifts influence changes in the demand, supply, and use of spaces. Her research projects refer to two main areas of investigation: 1) regional inequalities and the regeneration of town centres, with a specific focus on coastal towns and 2) the spatial implications of productive systems and agglomerations, including work on densification strategies and the evolution of working spaces.

Before coming to Cambridge in 2020, she extensively lectured and led research on various topics spanning the fields of urban planning, economic geography, and urban regeneration, holding roles at the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London (UCL), the Development Planning Unit (UCL), and London South Bank University. She holds a PhD in Planning Studies from the Bartlett School of Planning (UCL), where she remains an honorary lecturer.

Her work has been published in several leading international journals and featured on media outlets. Among the various external engagements and offices, Dr Fiorentino is an editor of the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, and a trustee and board member of the Regional Studies Association (RSA), which is the leading international network of scholars and policymakers in regional studies.

Given the international and comparative nature of her research, she is regularly invited to deliver guest lectures, keynotes, and research visits (e.g., University of Toronto, Politecnico di Milano, Chinese University of Hong Kong, etc.).

Before becoming an academic, Dr Fiorentino trained as a chartered engineer, and she has worked in international consultancies across Italy, France and the UK with leading expertise in urban planning, regeneration and economic development. As an academic she continues to engage with policymakers and industry professionals, contributing to consultancy, thought leadership, and influencing policymaking, and has held external expert advisory roles for a variety of agencies like the European Commission, the House of Lords, the OECD, Centre for London, and various Local Authorities.