Staff profile

Andrés' research agenda revolves around three interrelated topics and their implications for cities, particularly in the Global South. First, the development of a critical geography of energy, through new questions around energy politics, security and risk. This is done via an analysis of the politics involved in the scalar re-making of energy processes and the emergence of a local governance of energy around renewable resources. Second, a socio-technical examination of ‘smart’ forms of urbanization and the coupling of digital and material infrastructures as a new security apparatus in the city. Finally, a critical evaluation of urban responses to climate change and the disruption of the relationship between climate mitigation and adaptation in cities. 

In addition to his academic experience, Andrés has over 12 years of practitioner experience in the interface between urban infrastructures and environmental issues. Between 2004 and 2010 he worked as an urban designer and sustainability consultant for the London-based engineering firms Alan Baxter and Associates and Ove Arup & Partners, integrating and coordinating the work of architects and engineers designing and masterplanning eco-cities and other sustainable settlements in China, the UK and Latin America. Previously he worked with indigenous groups, government agencies and NGOs in the development of community based conservation areas in the Amazon.

Andrés is a member of the International Working Group “Smart grids – smart cities?” of the Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung (the German Academy for Spatial Research and Planning - ARL). Previously he coordinated the ESRC funded International Network on Comparative Urban Low Carbon Transitions (INCUT)—a global network of researchers examining how cities around the world are responding to climate change—and was a co-investigator in the RCUK-CONFAP International Network (UK-Brazil) Augmented urbanity and smart technologies.

Academic Profile

• 2010 - 2013: PhD Geography, Durham University.
• 2003 - 2004: MSc City Design and Social Science, LSE. 
• 2001 - 2003: Masters in Environmental Management, Yale University.
• 1994 - 1999: Political Scientist (5 year degree), Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.
• 1993 - 1998: Anthropologist (5 year degree), Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

Teaching and Tutoring

• Programme Director, Risk Masters
• Lecturer
  • Social Dimensions of Risk and Resilience. Risk Masters, Durham University, UK (2015-2017). 
  • Fundamentals of Risk Research. Risk Masters, Durham University, UK (2016-2017). 
  • Cities and the Governing of Climate Change. Geography Department, Durham University, UK (2014-2016). 
  • Urban Geography. Geography Department, Durham University, UK (2015-2016). 
  • Environmental Processes and Governance. Geography Department, Durham University, UK (2015-2017).
  • Introduction to Geographical Research. Geography Department, Durham University, UK (2015-2016).

Academic Awards and Scholarships

Awards:

• 2011: Slawson Award, Royal Geographical Society - RGS, London, UK.
• 2004: Degree with Distinction, MSc, London School of Economics.
• 2001: Fulbright Scholar (with scholarship), Fulbright Comission, USA.
• 1999: Degree with Honors, Political Science, Universidad de los Andes.
• 1998: Degree with Honors, Anthropology, Universidad de los Andes.

Scholarships and Grants:

• 2013-2015: Hatfield College Junior Research Fellow, Durham University
• 2011: Santander Mobility Grant (for research in Brazil), Durham University, UK.
• 2010: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Scholarship (3.5 years), Durham University, UK.
• 2002: Compton Environmental Fellowship, Compton Foundation, USA.
• 2001: Barsa Scholarship (2 years), De Sa InterAmerican Foundation, Brazil.
• 2001: Evan Frankel Scholarship (2 years), Frankel Foundation, USA.

• Economy & Culture
• Geographies of Life
• Urban Worlds

Authored book

• Luque-Ayala, A. & Marvin, S. (2020). Urban operating systems: producing the computational city. MIT Press.

Book review

• Luque-Ayala, A (2019). Rethinking the material politics of the city through ‘Interoperable streams of data’. Dialogues in Human Geography 9(1): 117-120.
• Luque, A. (2011). The governance of climate change: science, economics, politics and ethics (D. Held and A. Fane-Hervey eds.). Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 29: 943-949.

Chapter in book

• Luque-Ayala, A & Marvin, S (Forthcoming). Chapter 14: Developing a critical understanding of smart urbanism. In Handbook of Urban Geography. Schwanen, T Edward Elgar.
• Luque-Ayala, A, Bulkeley, H & Marvin, S (2018). Rethinking urban transitions: an analytical framework. In Rethinking Urban Transitions: Politics in the Low Carbon City. Luque-Ayala, A, Marvin, S & Bulkeley, H Routledge. 13-36.
• Luque-Ayala, A (2018). Post-development carbon. In Rethinking Urban Transitions: Politics in the Low Carbon City. Luque-Ayala, A, Marvin, S & Bulkeley, H Routledge. 224-241.
• Luque-Ayala, A, Marvin, S & Bulkeley, H (2018). Introduction. In Rethinking Urban Transitions: Politics in the Low Carbon City. Luque-Ayala, A, Marvin, S & Bulkeley, H Routledge. 1-12.
• Luque-Ayala, A (2018). Chapter 3: Urban. In Digital Geographies. Ash, J, Kitchin, R & Leszczynski, A Sage.
• Griffith, C., Matkins, M., Aylett, A., Joeman, B., Lefevre, B., Luque-Ayala, A., Rahman, A., Roberts, D. & Ward, S. (2016). Climate change mitigation in rapidly developing cities. In Handbook of Urbanization and Global Environmental Change. Seto, K & Solecki, W Routledge.
• Luque-Ayala, A. (2016). From consumers to customers: Regularizing electricity networks in São Paulo’s favelas. In Retrofitting Cities. Hodson, M. & Marvin, S. Routledge.
• Luque-Ayala, A. (2016). Geographies of Energy. In Oxford Bibliographies in Geography [online]. Warf, B. Oxford University Press.
• Luque-Ayala, A. (2015). Solar hot water and housing systems in São Paulo, Brazil. In An Urban Politics of Climate Change: Experimentation and the Governing of Socio-Technical Transitions. Bulkeley, H., Castan Broto, V. & Edwards, G. Routledge. 157-176.
• Luque, A. (2014). The smart grid and the interface between energy, ICT and the city. In Urban retrofitting for sustainability: mapping the transition to 2050. Dixon, T., Eames, M., Hunt, M. & Lannon, S. Routledge.
• Luque, A., McFarlane, C. & Marvin, S. (2014). Smart urbanism: cities, grids and alternatives? In After Sustainable Cities?. Hodson, M. & Marvin, S. Routeldge. 74-90.

Conference Paper

• da Silva, J., Kernaghan, S., Luque, A., Cook, S., Crawley, C. & Singleton, D. (2010), Cities and Climate Change Adaptation: the Role of Rapid Resilience, 5th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region and Australasian Structural Engineering Conference. Sydney, Australia, Sydney.

Edited book

• Luque-Ayala, A, Marvin, S & Bulkeley, H (2018). Rethinking Urban Transitions: Politics in the Low Carbon City. Routledge.
• Luque-Ayala, A. & Silver, J. (2016). Energy, Power and Protest on the Urban Grid - Geographies of the Electric City. Routledge.
• Marvin, S., Luque-Ayala, A. & McFarlane, C. (2015). Smart Urbanism: Utopian Vision or False Dawn?. Routledge.
• Lobo-Guerrero, M., Herrera, X., de Greiff, J. & Luque, A (2000). Matavén Selva Corazon de la Salud. Fundación Etnollano / Prorama COAMA / Union Europea.

Journal Article

• Evans, J, Karvonen, A, Luque-Ayala, A, Martin, C, McCormick,K, Raven, R & Voytenko Palgan, Y (2019). Special Issue Introduction: Smart and Sustainable Cities? Pipedreams, Practicalities and Possibilities. Local Environment 24: 557-564.
• Solecki, W, Zimmerman, R, Bruns, A, Lobo, J, Boone, C, Marcotulio, P, Grimm, N, Young, A, Griffith, C, Breitzer, R, Romero-Lankao, P & Luque-Ayala, A (2019). Extreme Events and Climate Adaptation-Mitigation Linkages: Understanding Low-Carbon Transitions in the Era of Global Urbanization. WIREs Climate Change
• Kumar, A., Ferdous, R., Luque-Ayala, A., McEwan, C., Power, M., Turner, B. & Bulkeley, H. (2019). Solar energy for all? Understanding the successes and shortfalls through a critical comparative assessment of Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Energy Research & Social Science 48: 166-176.
• Luque-Ayala, Andrés & Neves Maia, Flávia (2019). Digital Territories: Google Maps as a Political Technique in the Re-making of Urban Informality. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 37(3): 449-467.
• Bulkeley, H., Luque-Ayala, A., McFarlane, C. & MacLeod, G. (2018). Enhancing urban autonomy: towards a new political project for cities. Urban Studies 55(4): 702-719.
• Marvin, S. & Luque-Ayala, A. (2017). Urban Operating Systems: Diagramming the City. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 41(1): 84-103.
• Luque-Ayala, Andrés & Marvin, Simon (2016). The maintenance of urban circulation: An operational logic of infrastructural control. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 34(2): 191-208.
• Luque-Ayala, A. & Marvin, S. (2015). Developing a Critical Understanding of Smart Urbanism? Urban Studies 52(12): 2105-2116.
• Bulkeley, Harriet, Luque-Ayala, Andrés & Silver, Jonathan (2014). Housing and the (re)configuration of energy provision in Cape Town and São Paulo: Making space for a progressive urban climate politics? Political Geography 40: 25-34.
• Luquea, A., Edwards, G. & Lalande, C. (2013). The local governance of climate change: new tools to respond to old limitations in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Local Environment 18(6): 738-751.
• Da Silva, J., Kernaghan, S. & Luque, A. (2012). A systems approach to meeting the challenges of urban climate change. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development 4(2): 125-145.

Newspaper/Magazine Article

• Luque, A. (2011). India pioneers use of solar power in city of Thane. Urban World / UN-Habitat IV(3): 37-38.
• Luque, A. (2003). The People of the Mataven Forest and the National Park System: Allies in the creation of a Community Conserved Area in Colombia. Policy Matters - A Journal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 12.