Ludovic Halbert

Trained as an economic geographer and planner, my work focuses on urban dynamics and how they are affected by the transformation of productive systems (globalization, financialization), the changing financial circuits involved in urban production, and evolving urban development policies (planning, economic development).

Research interest: After having probed the intra- and inter-urban locational patterns of firms in a context of globalizing economies, I am currently going through a new research cycle critically questioning how various financial circuits interact with the material fabric of urban systems in different national contexts. Such works include a study of the financialization of real estate and infrastructure and the increased importance of capital markets in the construction and ownership of urban “assets”. I also look at the social housing financing system and at the provision of buy-to-let residential properties in France as other types of financial circuits.

Research fields: France, European cities, India. Due to collaborations, I have also published works on Mexican and Brazilian cities.

Collaborations: Involved in research consortia since my doctoral research years, I am particularly interested in collaborative research with academics (research, post-docs and PhDs) as well as with other stakeholders (NGOs, public authorities, firms). To contact me: ludovic.halbert @ enpc.fr

Special issues & Books

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L. Halbert, Pinson, G., Sala-Pala, V. (2021) Contester les métropoles. Métropoles, Dossier thématique.

M. Drozdz, Guironnet, A., Halbert, L., «Les villes à l’ère de la financiarisation », Métropolitiques, Dossier spécial.

L. Halbert and K. Attuyer (2016) The financialization of urban production. Urban Studies, Special Issue. May 2016.

L. Halbert, J. Henneberry and F. Mouzakis  (2014) Finance, business property and regional development. Regional Studies, Special Issue, 48(3).

L. Halbert L, F. Convery and A. Thierstein (2006) Reflections on the Polycentric Metropolis. Built Environment, Special Issue. 32(2).

L. Halbert, C. Rozenblat and P. Cicille (2012) Quelles métropoles en Europe ? Paris: La Documentation Française.

L. Halbert (2010) L’avantage métropolitain. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

L. Halbert, (2004) Densité, desserrement, polycentrisme et transformation économique des aires métropolitaines. Interpréter la concentration des activités d’intermédiation dans la zone centrale de la région francilienne. PhD Thesis manuscript, Paris: University. Paris-1

 

Papers

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L. Halbert, Pinson, G., Sala-Pala, V. (2021) Contester les métropoles. Métropoles, Introduction au dossier thématique.

M. Drozdz, M., Guironnet, A., Halbert, L. (2020) Les villes à l’ère de la financiarisation. Introduction. Métropolitiques.

D. Sanfelici, Halbert, L., (2019) Financial market actors as urban policy-makers : the case of real estate investment trusts in Brazil, Urban Geography. 40(1), 83-103.

Halbert, L., (2018) Infrastructures financières et production urbaine, Espaces et Sociétés, 3(174), 71-86.

A. Guionnet, Halbert, L., (2018) Produire la ville pour les marchés financiers, Espaces et Sociétés, 3(174).

Maisetti, N., Halbert, L., (2018) Action publique environnementale et New Public Management. Pôle Sud, 48, 57-72.

L. Halbert and K. Attuyer (2016) Introduction: The financialisation of urban production: Conditions, mediations and transformations. Urban Studies. First published online on Feb. 26, 2016. doi:10.1177/0042098016635420A

Guironnet, K. Attuyer and L.Halbert (2015) Building cities on financial assets: The financialisation of property markets and its implications for city governments in the Paris city-region. Urban Studies. First published online on April 7, 2015. doi: 10.1177/0042098015576474

D. Sanfelici  and L. Halbert (2015) Financial markets, developers and housing in Brazil, Urban Studies. First published online on June 19, 2015. doi: 10.1177/0042098015590981. Post-print here

H. Rouanet and L. Halbert (2015) Leveraging finance capital: Urban change and self-empowerment of real estate developers in India. Urban Studies. First published online on May 29, 2015. doi: 10.1177/0042098015585917

P. Bouché, E. Decoster and L. Halbert (2015) L’épargne réglementée: une géographie méconnue de la circulation de richesse en France. Géographie Economie Société. 17(2):225-249. doi: 10.3166/ges.17.225-249

Halbert L. and H. Rouanet (2014) Filtering risk away: global finance capital, transcalar territorial networks and the (un)making of city-regions: property developments in Bangalore. Regional Studies 48 (3) :471-84. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2013.779658

L. David and L. Halbert (2014) Financial capital, actor-network theory and the struggle over calculative agencies in the business property markets of Mexico City metropolitan region. Regional Studies 48 (3) :516-29. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2012.756581

L. Halbert, J. Henneberry and F. Mouzakis  (2014) The Financialization of Business Property and What It Means for Cities and Regions. Regional Studies. 48(3):547-550. doi:10.1080/00343404.2014.895317

L. Halbert, J. Henneberry and F. Mouzakis  (2014) Finance, business property and urban and regional development. Regional Studies. 48(3):421-424 . doi: 10.1080/00343404.2014.895316

David L. and L. Halbert (2014) Constructing world-class cities. Dialogues in Urban & Regional Planning 5:99-14. isbn13: 978-0-415-60077-6. Unrestricted Author version

A. Guironnet and L. Halbert (2014) The financialization of Urban Development Projects: Concepts, processes, and implications. Latts Working Paper 14(04):44 p. Dec 2014. Open-access Full-text version

L. Halbert (2013) Les acteurs des marchés financiers font-ils la ville ? Vers un agenda de recherche. EspacesTemps.net. 9. Peer review, 09.07.2013.  Open-access Full-text version

L. Halbert (2013) Les deux options métropolitaines des politiques de développement territorial. Annales de Géographie. 689(1): 108-121. Accès éditeur: ici

L. Halbert (2012) Collaborative and Collective: Reflexive Co-ordination and the Dynamics of Open Innovation in the Digital Industry Clusters of the Paris Region. Urban Studies 49(11):2357-76. doi: 10.1177/0042098011427186

K. Attuyer, A. Guironnet and L Halbert (2012) “Turning pumpkins into carriages”: sustainable urban development and the financialization of ‘green’commercial real estate in France. Articulo-Journal of Urban Research. [Online], 9 | 2012, Doi: 10.4000/articulo.2155. Open-access Full-text version

L. Halbert and J. Rutherford (2010) Flow-place: reflections on cities, communication and urban production processes. GaWC Research Bulletin. 352. Open-access Full-text version

L. Halbert and K. Pain (2010) Services globaux, géographies locales: les services aux entreprises dans les métropoles de Londres et Paris. Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography. Doc 510. Doi: 10.4000/cybergeo.23337. Open-access Full-text version 

C. Vandermotten, L. Halbert et al. (2008) European Planning and the Polycentric Consensus: Wishful Thinking? Regional Studies 42:1205-17. doi: 10.1080/00343400701874206

L. Halbert (2008) Examining the Mega-City-Region Hypothesis. Evidence from the Paris City-Region / Bassin parisien. Regional Studies 42:1147-60. doi: 10.1080/00343400701861328

L. Halbert (2007) From sectors to functions: producer services, metropolisation and agglomeration forces in the Ile-de-France region. Belgeo, Revue belge de géographie, 1:73-94. Open-access Full-text available

L. Halbert (2006) The polycentric city-region that never was: The Paris Agglomeration, Bassin Parisien and Spatial Planning Strategies in France. Built Environment, 32: 184-193. Restricted online access. Unrestricted Author version.

L. Halbert (2004) The decentralization of Business Services in the Paris Region: Patterns, Interpretation, Consequences. Economic Geography 80:381-405. doi: 10.1111/j.1944-8287.2004.tb00244.x. Unrestricted Author version.

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International & national Research Collaborations (selection, non-exhaustive list of partners)

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• 2019-23   INVEST (PI), Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Univ. Paris-Est, Ecole des Mines, Iniv. de Perpignan, Univ. Aix en Provence, Univ. Avignon.
• 2020-23   VIF : La vente des Hlms en France  (contributeur), Univ. de Paris, Gustave Eiffel, de Tours, Institut Paris Région, Cerema
• 2018-22    Ateliers acteurs-chercheurs sur l’investissement public local. Réseau des Finances locales.
• 2017-21     Investissement public local (co-PI), Caisse des Dépôts et consignations.
• 2012-16     FINURBASIA   (co-PI), Property and capital markets in Asia, Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Incl. N. Aveline (Paris-1 Uni. FR), C. Chien (Taiwan Uni. TW), L. Hin Li (Hong Kong Uni. CN), T. Theurillat (Neuchâtel Uni. CH), A. Varrel (EHESS/IFP, IN).
• 2010-12      ACME (PI) Comparative analysis of European metropolises. French Prime Min.’s Office. Incl. D. Pumain (Paris-1 FR), C. Vandermotten (Brussels Uni. BE), C. Rozenblat (Lausanne Uni. CH), etc.
• 2008-09      CURE (National Partner, NA). Cultural industries and urban resilience. URBAN-NET. Incl. R. Kloosterman (Amsterdam Uni. NL), D. Power (Uppsala Uni. SE), M. Guvenc (Bilgi Uni. TR), etc.
• 2007-08       Creative Metropolis (PI). Clusters and cultural industries. French Min. of Planning & Culture. Incl. A. Brandellero (Amsterdam Uni. NL), U. Waellisch (Loughborough Uni. UK), P. Callenge (Paris-1 FR).
• 2006-07        ESPON 1.4.3. (National Partner). Study on urban functions in Europe. ESPON Programme. Incl. C. Vandermotten (Brussels Uni. BE), P. Korcelli (Polish Acad. of Sci. PL), A. Ilies (Oradea Uni. RO), etc.
• 2003-05        POLYNET. (National Partner). European city-regions. European Regional Development Funds. Incl. P. Hall & K. Pain (Young Foundation), F. Convery (Uni. College Dublin), T. Freitag (Heidelberg Uni.), R. Kloosterman (Amsterdam Uni.), M. Hoyler (Loughborough Uni.), A. Thierstein (Munich Uni.), etc.

 

Academic Positions

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• 2005-           Researcher, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (LATTS).
• 2004-05      Lecturer, Geography, University Paris-1.

 

Education

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• 2001-04       PhD, Geography, University Paris-1.
• 1997-00        B.A. and M.A., Planning, Urban & Economic Geography, University Paris-1.
• 1997-01        Graduate Student, École Normale Supérieure (Fontenay/Cloud).

 

Journal

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Scientific committee

• Progress in Economic Geography
• Métropoles

Referee

• Environment and Planning A, Environment and Planning C, IJURR (International Journal of Urban and Regional Research), Regional Studies, « Territory, Politics and Governance » (TPG), Urban Geography, Urban Studies…
• Annales de Géographie, Belgéo, Cybergéo, “Géographie, Economie, Société” (GES), L’Espace Géographique, Métropoles, Revue d’Économie Régionale et Urbaine, Revue française de socio-économie

 

Institutional responsibilities

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Management of Research Team

• 2007-           Founder the Fit In team (LATTS, Univ. Paris-Est).

Other responsibilities

• 2013-19        Member of Scientific Board (Conseil de laboratoire), LATTS.
• 2005-           Organizer of Scientific Seminar, LATTS, University Paris-Est.