Osman Balaban is an urban planner holding a PhD in city planning from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. He joined the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies in September 2009 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. His current research interest is on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in cities, with a particular emphasis on urban regeneration policy and practices. Prior to joining UNU-IAS, he has worked as an instructor in City and Regional Planning Department at METU.