Dr. Colin Marx

Biography

Colin Marx is a Professor in Urban Development Planning at the Development Planning Unit, University College London. He has a rich background as a town planner, adult educator, and geographer with extensive experience in addressing community-driven struggles and inequalities in African cities. His work focuses on identifying and acting on power relations that produce and sustain urban inequities, particularly in the context of the Global South. He explores how power is mobilized and sustained to generate urban environments characterized by poverty and informality. In his role at UCL, he directs the PhD program and leads a module on urban land issues as part of the MSc in Urban Development Planning. Prior to joining UCL, he taught at Kingston University London and various universities in South Africa, and directed a large urban advocacy NGO in South Africa during the post-apartheid period. His work involved innovative, supportive interventions in urban environments, including community mobilization and infrastructural planning.

Research Interests

Experience