Chris den Heijer joined the Research Group for Urban Development in 2021. In his PhD (2026), funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), he studied alternative financing arrangements for nature-based solutions, with a focus on land value capture in Flanders. Alongside his doctoral research, he contributed to applied projects on business models for urban greening (Innofins) and on financing the proposed cover over the R1 South ring road in Antwerp (Werkbank Financiering).
He subsequently worked on the European Urban Initiative project Rewild the City in Ghent and then joined the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Zurich for the UNSEAL project, which examines urban soil desealing across five European cities.
From October 2026, Chris holds an FWO interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship. In this project, he constructs a database of development charge policies across Flemish municipalities and links it to permit, cadastral, and transaction records to assess how these charges affect housing prices and the location of real estate development.
Alongside his research, Chris teaches in the master's program in Urbanism and Spatial Planning at the University of Antwerp, where he lectures on project management and supervises master's theses.
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Favorite (place in the) city?
Sint-Andriesplaats, Antwerp: A gem of a square hidden in the middle of the city. Surrounded by trees, a cosy café and playing youth, this is the place to be on summer evenings for a game of basketball with friends. And afterwards, of course, a refreshing drink on the terrace!