LSE Urban95 Academy

The Urban95 Academy is a leadership programme for municipal leaders — planners, designers and other urban professionals working inside local government. It starts from a single question: if you could experience the city from 95 cm, the height of a healthy three-year-old, what would you change? Cities apply as teams, each bringing a challenge drawn from its own territory.

Each cohort runs seven weeks of online coursework with LSE faculty, Van Leer Foundation leadership and guest experts, followed by a week in residence at LSE in London. The residence week combines sessions on strategy, governance, public campaigning and media with site visits across the city, walked at a caregiver's pace and with strollers in tow. Teams leave with a strategy, a communications campaign and an implementation plan for their own city.

The Academy is a collaboration between LSE Cities and the Van Leer Foundation, built on the Urban95 initiative. Cities completing the programme join the Urban95 global network of practitioners and officials, and may be matched with technical partners for further support once they are back home.