Nicolas Del Canto, Planning and Environment, University of Liverpool (2022 Cohort)

From April to July, I had the amazing opportunity to carry out an Overseas Institutional Visit at Lab’URBA in Paris, and I can confidently say it has significantly shaped both my PhD and my future career prospects.

From the very beginning, I was welcomed into a vibrant environment of academics and doctoral and postdoctoral researchers alike. Working alongside professors and being introduced to a network of scholars who were genuinely interested in my research extended my academic reach in ways I had not anticipated. I also immersed myself in the Lab’URBA community — attending seminars, collaborating informally with other PhD students, and enjoying many coffee-table conversations about housing, planning and urban change. The welcome I received from students and staff at the institute made me feel part of the community from day one — and I’m deeply grateful for that.

A highlight of my stay was the annual conference of the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR), which Lab’URBA hosted. I presented my research twice: first, at the PhD workshop, where I spent a full day exchanging theoretical and methodological insights and challenges with other doctoral researchers from across Europe; and second, at the “Housing Economics and Market Dynamics” workshop, sharing the stage with fellow PhD students and senior academics. I was honoured to receive the runner-up award in the New Researchers workshop, making me the only UK-based student recognised in that category — it was a total surprise, so I’ll probably always remember it.

Beyond the formal research achievements, Paris itself was a great place to explore as an urban planner. I loved experiencing the city’s everyday infrastructure — its extensive cycle lanes, reliable public transport, and the mix of architectural heritage and experimental urbanism. Visiting icons like Le Corbusier’s buildings or exploring estates such as Cité Pablo Picasso gave me a new appreciation for how planning ideas are transformed into lived spaces. I also fell for the boulangeries, took morning runs along the Coulée Verte and the Petite Ceinture.

My thanks go to the NWSSDTP for making this OIV possible. I’ll certainly miss Paris (and its pastries!).