Dr L. Bertolini (1963) has been appointed Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Luca Bertolini will focus primarily on the integration of the areas of urban, regional, and urban transportation planning. Key issues related to this integration are the cohesive development of urban-regional systems of locations and transport networks, the identification of strategies for sustainable mobility in cities and regions, and the planning of large-scale infrastructure projects. The tension between various mutual dependencies on the one hand and the major fragmentation of societal modes of operation on the other make these issues extraordinarily complex. Deep-rooted uncertainty about future developments also plays a role in this complexity. Traditional approaches to planning often fall short, and it is necessary to invent new ones. In particular, Bertolini will examine how evolutionary models of thought can be of assistance in the creation of new approaches. He sees Planning as an analytical and constructive social science, in which the description and explanation of social issues goes hand in hand with the active investigation of potential solutions. However, these two activities are often separated, meaning that opportunities to allow them to mutually strengthen each other are lost. An important focus for the chair will be looking at how analytical and constructive activities in research, education and planning practice can be combined in an effective manner. Bertolini has worked at the UvA since 1999, first as a postdoctoral researcher, then as an Assistant Professor and since 2005 as an Associate Professor. He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, and obtained his doctorate from the Politecnico di Torino (Italy). He also worked as an architect in Italy. Bertolini works at the Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt) at the UvA.