Simone is a visiting researcher from the University of Lisbon, sponsored by a Fulbright Research Scholar grant (funded by the US - Italy Fulbright Commission).

Simone (born in Palermo, Italy) holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering and Architecture (University of Palermo) and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning (University of Palermo). He is a post-doc research fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal. His research interests encompass: planning theory and cultures; critical studies of urban security/safety; power and politics in planning; future studies, ICTs and territorial governance; neoliberal urban trends; Southern European cities; the geography of crisis. His full list of publications is available here.

In Memphis, he is carrying out the research project, "SECURE - Security Examined Critically: URban planning Explorations (From Southern Europe to Southern United States)". SECURE is designed in complementarity with his post-doc research, with three general objectives: contributing to theoretical and policy debates about urban security and safety in planning; fostering comparative studies between Southern Europe and Southern United States; developing a case-study in Memphis. The case study in Memphis has two specific goals: critically assessing urban security/safety policy-making at the municipal level and building policy recommendations for crime prevention within urban planning through collaborative research-in-action.

The research-in-action component of SECURE will be carried out in the neighborhood Klondike / Smokey City in North Memphis in collaboration with two courses in the Master of City and Regional Planning – Comprehensive Planning Studio (held by Antonio Raciti) and Historic Preservation Planning (held by Laura Saija).

Selected publications:

Tulumello. S. (2015). Reconsidering neoliberal urban planning intimes of crisis: urban regeneration policy in a "dense" space in Lisbon. Urban Geography, Advance online publication. Go to article

Tulumello. S. (2015). Fear and Urban Planning in Ordinary Cities: From Theory to Practice. Planning practice research Vol. 30, 5, 477-496. Go to article

Tulumello. S. (2015). Questioning the Universality of Institutional Transformation Theories in Spatial Planning. International Planning Studies Vol. 20, 4, 371-389. Go to article