SGR i-GOP

Research Group

Research group SGR Innovation, Governance and Public Policies (i-GOP)

Until now, IGOP was organized around two consolidated research groups (SGRs): URGOCIS (Urban Governance, Commons, Internet and Social Innovation) and AGAPP (Public Policy Analysis Management and Assessment).

In 2022 we decided to integrate these two groups into one called i-GOP (Innovation, Governance and Public Policies) to reflect the merging of what before tended to be separate research agendas. Over the years, our research has developed in a considerably more integrative manner due to increasing cooperation and synergies between research teams and leaders.

The areas and issues of interest are related to public policy innovation and the governance of complex social and political systems in comparative perspective, and from different levels of government. This group aims to generate and share knowledge on the major challenges facing contemporary democracies. i-GOP leads and participates in a large number of European and national research projects. It also maintains a close relationship with applied research linked to public administrations and social entities.

Main lines of research

1. Socio-spatial Inequalities and Urban Policies

We analyze the impact of recent crises on socio-spatial inequalities in cities, with a focus on housing conditions. The proposed research agenda aims to update and deepen analysis of urban segregation and socio-spatial inequality in metropolitan contexts, examining inequalities in resources and their implications for metropolitan governance. The role of housing policies in shaping citizenship experiences and urban governance will also be analyzed. The research aims to explore new models of urban rehabilitation and community action to drive social transformation in vulnerable areas.

2. Social Inequalities and Welfare Reform

This line of research has a well-grounded trajectory at IGOP. We developed a research programme on social inequalities and welfare reform, with a focus on measuring poverty and social exclusion, evaluating policies to alleviate these issues, and understanding the politics behind social policy. The program includes two ongoing European projects, EUROSHIP and rEUsilience, as well as work on social innovation and the politics of reform in areas such as housing, minimum income, family policy, gender equality, and labor market policy. The research aims to develop new social indicators and explore novel approaches to addressing societal needs.

3. Urban collective action, the right to the city and the politics of proximity

This research area at IGOP focuses on urban collective action, the right to the city, and the politics of proximity. It has three objectives: studying social movements demanding the right to the city, analyzing new forms of cooperative collective action, and examining the intersections between territorial collective action and public policies. The research is strongly gender-focused and aims to understand the impacts of social movements, policy coproduction, and the creation of urban commons.

4. Public Administration and Citizenship

This research strand focuses on the relationship between public service motivations, performance and satisfaction, as well as the impact of administrative burdens and obstacles on citizens and public servants. We carry out, among others, research on the motivation of public service and citizen satisfaction, the analysis of public management and administration reform, the dynamics of multilevel government and the design, reform and management of welfare policies with a focus on health, education and social services.

Projects

Competitive Research (active projects 2024)

Competitive Research (2021-23)

Applied Research Projects

Socio-educational Intervention System Assessment

People

Faculty

Xavier Ballart
Full professor

Ricard Gomà
Associate professor

Ismael Blanco
Full professor

Sheila González
(UB)

Josep Lluís Espluga
Associate professor

Margarita León
Full professor

Raquel Gallego
Full professor

Òscar Rebollo
Associate professor

Postodcs

Iolanda Bianchi
Marie Curie (Antwerp)

Lara Maestripieri
Ramon y Cajal

Adrian Bua
Marie Curie

Mercè Cortina
Maria Zambrano

Lara Navarro
IERMB

Daniel Edmiston
Whocounts Project

Carlos Delclós
PaDC Project

Marina Pera
Margarita Salas

Zyab Ibañez
Euroship Project

Bertie Russell
Marie Curie

TSR

Charlotte Fernández
Research Coordinator

Ernesto Morales
TSR

Núria Reguero
TSR

PhD Students

Carla Cordoncillo
Industrial Doctorate

David Palomera
FI

Francisco Ferraioli
FI

Yunailis Salazar
Industrial Doctorate

Roser Girós
Industrial Doctorate

Llorenç Soler
FI-SDUR

Sergi López
Ciemat

Adriana Offredi
FI-SDUR

Collaborators

Dr. Joan Miró Artigas (Università degli Studi di Milano – State University of Milan)
Dr. Lorenzo Vidal Folch (Uppsala University – Sweden)
Professor Jonathan Davies (DeMontfort University)
Professor Mara Ferreri (Northumbria University)
Emeritus Professor Vivien Lowndes (University of Birmingham)
Professor Anton Hemerijck (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Professor Costanzo Ranci (Politecnico di Milano)
Dr. Mayo Fuster (UOC)
Professor Emmanuele Pavolini (Università di Macerata)
Dr. Marc Balaguer (Ivàlua, Generalitat de Catalunya)
Professor Oriol Nel·lo (Departament de geografia, UAB)
Dra. Natàlia Rosetti (Ajuntament de Barcelona)
Professor Júlia Miralles (Ajuntament de Barcelona)
Dra. Joana Díaz (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)