- Can you explain briefly what your job entails and what activities it includes?

I conduct applied research in economics at OFCE, Sciences Po Paris. It covers public policy evaluation, design and ex-ante calibration for a wide range of policies: fiscal, monetary, and trade. However, in the last decade, environmental issues have become increasingly prominent. For a few years, I have been working on urban policies with a focus on urban mobility, as it is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. 

- Within your domain, what do you consider the biggest challenge(s) for cities and urban stakeholders right now? 

My personal conviction is that cities are – to quote Glaeser – of one the most fantastic inventions of humanity. However, they need serious freshening up to function again. Cities are where the 2 most important challenges for modern regulated capitalism are colliding with reality: inequality and climate change.

On a more intellectual level, the avalanche of data we are witnessing is also a fantastic opportunity to understand, test and design the city of tomorrow.

- How do you perceive the dynamics between academia and local policymakers in the urban domain? 

I am rather new to the domain, but I have the feeling that, at least at the level of medium-sized urban areas, everyone is expecting a lot from the use of data to provide a rational approach to very polarising issues. I see a strong source of motivation and hope in the use of complex research to inform public choices.

- If you could formulate one sentence to convey a message to other local policymakers, civil servants, researchers and other members of this community of practice for CITIES, what would it be?

We have a whole new continent to discover. We need to dare to explore it.

Explore further and have a look at https://xtimbeau.github.io/meaps: it is a work in progress but you can find some interesting elements.