PhD Researcher: Sustainable Urban Demographics

Leiden University; Leiden; Hybrid; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working options

ABP pension plan

Home-working allowance

PhD training support

Job summary

Leiden University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) seeks a PhD Researcher to study environmental impacts of spatial demographic change. Based in Leiden, you will use geospatial tools to model population shifts, energy demand, and GHG emissions within urban-rural Europe, informing future planning strategies.

You will collaborate across disciplines, develop high-resolution demand models, and integrate with material flow and life cycle assessments to explore decarbonization pathways

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Sustainability Sciences, Urban Planning, Engineering, Geospatial Science, or related discipline.
• Written and oral proficiency in English, strong scientific writing, visual and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative mindset, ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary environment
• Experience with GIS analysis, working with large, quantitative datasets and programming
• Experience with or willingness to learn Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment
• Keen interest in the intersection of societal demographic changes and environmental management
• Creative and curiosity-driven approach to problem solving

Responsibilities

• Develop high-resolution activity demand models for building and transport sectors under future spatially refined scenarios of European demographic change.
• Integrate activity demand projections with material flow and life‑cycle models to quantify future energy requirements, material intensity, and GHG emissions.
• Evaluate adaptive reuse and circular strategies for vacant buildings and underutilized transport infrastructure in depopulating and/or aging regions.
• Design integrated spatial planning scenarios combining built environment transformations with transport infrastructure investments to support high wellbeing and low resource/emissions pathways across population change and urban/rural contexts.

Skills

GIS analysis

Large datasets

Programming

English proficiency

Collaborative mindset

Education

Masters degree (Sustainability Sciences, Urban Planning, Engineering, Geospatial Science, or related discipline)

Tools

Material Flow Analysis

Life Cycle Assessment

Job description

Leiden University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) seeks a PhD Researcher to study environmental impacts of spatial demographic change. Based in Leiden, you will use geospatial tools to model population shifts, energy demand, and GHG emissions within urban-rural Europe, informing future planning strategies.

You will collaborate across disciplines, develop high-resolution demand models, and integrate with material flow and life cycle assessments to explore decarbonization pathways