Institute For Urban Excellence

What Institute For Urban Excellence does

The Institute for Urban Excellence (Stichting Institute for Urban Excellence, trading as iUE) is a non-profit think tank and independent knowledge broker headquartered at Waldorpstraat 17, The Hague, Netherlands. The organization was founded in 2016 and rebranded from its former identity as the ISOCARP Institute around 2025. It specializes in urban planning research, citizen engagement, advocacy, research communication, and professional training, operating across three pillars: Research, Practice, and Academy. Its expertise is organized around four thematic areas — the Natural and Built Environment, Inclusivity and Representation, Resilience and Adaptation, and Governance and Financing — with a recent (June 2026) diversification into landscape architecture, landscape planning, and urban systems.

iUE functions as a bridge between urban planning theory and practice, facilitating cross-border knowledge dissemination through participation in EU-funded research consortia. Its core products and outputs include the Co-Greening Handbook (developed with Technical University of Munich), the Co-Governance methodology using Theory of Change frameworks, the PLUS Change Toolkit (in development), the Dialogue for Change storytelling series, webinars such as the June 2026 Co-Greening webinar, and professional training programs. Active research projects include JUSTNature (Horizon 2020, 2021-2026, 13 partners across 7 cities), SPADES (Horizon Europe, 2024-2028, 17 pilots in 10 member states), URSOILL (2025-, 5 Living Labs with 50+ sites), PLUS Change, UP2030, DUST, DOWN TO EARTH, VARCITIES, and +CityxChange.

The business model is non-commercial. Revenue derives almost entirely from European Union research funding (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Interreg), where iUE participates as a consortium partner leading work packages on communication, dissemination, co-creation facilitation, and applied research. Services are provided at no cost to participants. The organization maintains no commercial pricing structure, no app or API platform, and no AI/ML technology stack. Its team consists of approximately 1-10 staff plus seasonal interns, led by Director Daniele Vettorato, operating from a single Netherlands headquarters with project reach across at least 10 European member states.

Name

Institute For Urban Excellence

Legal name

Stichting Institute for Urban Excellence

Website

https://institute-urbanex.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Urban Excellence is a Netherlands-based non-profit think tank that conducts research, citizen engagement, and professional training in urban planning, operating as a partner in EU-funded research consortia (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe) across European municipalities and research institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning Research & Advisory Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Urban planning research
• Citizen engagement services
• Professional training programs
• Nature-based solutions
• Urban sustainability advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Research Project Funding: Primary funding from European Union research programmes including Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. The organization participates as a partner in research consortia, leading work packages on communication, dissemination, co-creation facilitation, and research activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Institute for Urban Excellence is a non-profit think tank and independent knowledge broker that provides urban planning research, citizen engagement facilitation, advocacy, research communication, and professional training programs. It operates across three pillars (Research, Practice, Academy) and participates in EU-funded research consortia focused on nature-based solutions, soil-inclusive planning, climate resilience, and inclusive governance.

Product overview

The Institute for Urban Excellence is a non-profit think tank and independent knowledge broker that offers a portfolio of research, professional training, and knowledge dissemination services. The organization operates through three pillars: Research, Practice, and Academy. Core offerings include research services focused on urban sustainability themes (natural and built environment, inclusivity, resilience, governance), professional training programs and webinars (such as the Co-Greening webinar on inclusive urban governance), research communication as a bridge between planning theory and practice, citizen engagement facilitation, and advocacy. The institute also manages several EU-funded research projects including JUSTNature (nature-based solutions in seven City Practice Labs), SPADES (soil-inclusive spatial planning across 17 pilots), and PLUS Change (land-use planning tools and resources). Key knowledge products include the Co-Greening Handbook, the PLUS Change Toolkit, and the Dialogue for Change storytelling series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services
• Professional Training Programs
• Citizen Engagement Services
• Research Communication and Knowledge Dissemination
• Advocacy Services
• Co-Greening Handbook
• JUSTNature Project
• SPADES Project
• Co-Greening Webinar
• PLUS Change Toolkit
• Dialogue for Change Series
• URSOILL Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ soil-inclusive practice examples collected through SPADES project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• URSOILL ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EU-funded Research and Innovation project started September 2025. iUE co-creates 5 Living Labs for healthy urban soil with Politecnico di Milano, implementing structured discovery phases and developing soil health solutions.
• SPADES ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EU Horizon Europe project (2024-2028) developing soil-inclusive spatial planning strategies. iUE leads research activities to evaluate soil potential in spatial strategies and contributes to uptake of best practices. Works in 17 pilots across 10 European member states.
• JUSTNature Consortium (13 partners across 7 cities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021EU Horizon 2020 funded project focused on activation of nature-based solutions (NbS) in seven City Practice Labs. iUE led communication, dissemination, cross-learning activities, and research on co-governance schemes. Project spans 2021-2026 with cities including Munich, Szombathely, Bolzano, Merano, Gzira, Essen, and Leuven.
• Technical University of Munich (TUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on JUSTNature project and Co-Greening webinar series. TUM researchers Eleanor Chapman and Dr. Beatriz Kauark-Fontes contributed to the Co-Greening Handbook development and webinar delivery.
• Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) NetherlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriUE attended the first SDSN Netherlands Network Meeting hosted at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, participating in knowledge exchange on SDGs and climate adaptation.
• ICLEI EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriUE participated in EURESFO 2026 organized by ICLEI in Guimarães, contributing to the 'Strengthening the Governance of Resilience' stream.
• Think City InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop online courses on Urban Climate Resilience and Natural Disaster Management targeting public and private sector professionals in Asia.
• PLUS Change ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe project on land use strategies meeting biodiversity, climate, and social objectives. iUE participates in practice cases and the Dialogue for Change storytelling series. Working with 12 practice cases across Europe.
• VARCITIES Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVARCITIES – Green Cities are Healthier Cities project. iUE participates in consortium meetings and communication/dissemination activities.
• UP2030 Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU research project on urban planning and climate resilience kicked off in 2023.
• DUST Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocratising jUst Sustainability Transitions project kicked off in 2023.
• DOWN TO EARTH Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterreg project tackling depopulation challenges to improve environmental resilience in rural areas. iUE leads communication and dissemination.
• +CityxChange ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Horizon 2020 project on Positive Energy Districts successfully completed in 2023 after 5 years. iUE participated in final conference.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smart Cities Council: Global coalition advancing smart, sustainable cities through advisory, policy, and knowledge resources. Comparable in mission to help cities adopt innovative approaches (including nature-based and tech-enabled solutions) through advisory and knowledge dissemination.
• Centre for Cities: UK-based urban research and policy think tank producing data-driven research on city economies and policy. Comparable as a non-partisan urban research organization generating evidence-based outputs for city practitioners and policymakers.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: International alliance of city leaders addressing climate change through city-level commitments. Comparable as a city-focused intermediary driving climate action and providing knowledge/resources to municipal governments globally.
• The Nature of Cities: Global platform convening thinkers, practitioners, and citizens around sustainable cities and nature-based solutions. Directly comparable in mission, audience (city practitioners and researchers), and focus on urban nature and greening.
• Resilient Cities Network: Network of city governments working on urban resilience, formerly 100 Resilient Cities. Highly comparable to iUE given the shared focus on urban resilience, climate adaptation, and city-to-city knowledge sharing across international geographies.
• ISOCARP (International Society of City and Regional Planners): Global association of urban and regional planners. Highly comparable as iUE was formerly the ISOCARP Institute and continues to operate within the ISOCARP network, sharing the same professional planning community and practitioner audience.
• European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN): EU-funded knowledge platform supporting evidence-based urban policy across European member states. Highly comparable in scope (pan-European urban policy research and dissemination) and funding model (EU programme-driven).
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments committed to urban sustainability. Directly comparable to iUE as both operate as sustainability-focused intermediaries between cities, research institutions, and policymakers, with overlapping focus on resilience, nature-based solutions, and citizen engagement.

Broad incumbents

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Larger, well-funded global network of mayors addressing climate change. Overlaps with iUE on urban climate, sustainability, and governance themes but operates at significantly greater scale with broader geographic and thematic reach.
• Urban Institute: Major US-based social and economic policy research organization. Comparable as an established urban-focused research and policy think tank producing evidence-based outputs, though broader in scope (economic and social policy) than iUE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-urbanex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute For Urban Excellence