Dr. Joan Busquets

Professor

Biography

Joan Busquets is a world-renowned urban planner, architect, and educator currently serving as the Bucksbaum Professor of Practice in Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His distinguished career began as a Chair Professor of Town Planning and Urban Design at the Polytechnic University of Barcelona, where he contributed greatly to urban studies and planning in Spain. Notably, he served as the Head of Urban Planning for the Barcelona City Council from 1983 to 1989, during which he played a pivotal role in the preparations for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Busquets is a founding member of the Laboratorio de Urbanismo Barcelona and has made significant contributions to urban studies, including research on housing, urbanism, and conservation. He has received multiple prestigious awards, including the International Erasmus Prize in 2011 and the Grand Prix Spécial de l’Urbanisme in 2012. His academic research focuses on urban design strategies, grids in urbanism, and the impacts of large-scale events on city planning. He has published several influential books and articles addressing urban evolution, marginal urbanization, and innovative urban design practices, making him a key figure in contemporary urban studies and a sought-after professor at various international institutions.

Research Interests

Experience

Bucksbaum Professor of Practice
— Present

Harvard Graduate School of Design • Cambridge, MA

Teaching and research in urban planning and design.

Chair Professor of Town Planning and Urban Design
— Present

Polytechnic University of Barcelona • Barcelona, Spain

Contributed to urban planning and design education.

Awards

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International Erasmus Prize
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Grand Prix Spécial de l’Urbanisme

Courses

DES-3517 Redefining Urban Design STU-1505 Harvard Campuses Changing Nature University ADV-9201 Independent Study by Candidates Master’s Degrees