We are delighted to celebrate Dr. Sabrina Rahmawan-Huizenga, who successfully defended her dissertation, Experimenting the Healthy City, on Friday, 13 September 2024, at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Sabrina’s work, supervised by Professor Kim Putters and Dr. Nanke Verloo, explores the dynamics of collaborative governance and experimentation in urban health labs, providing critical insights into their potential and limitations for fostering healthier cities. With this achievement, Sabrina officially joins the academic community as Dr. Rahmawan-Huizenga.
A proud moment for BOLD Cities
Her research highlights that while urban health labs are often heralded as spaces of innovation, they are not free from challenges, such as power imbalances and competing interests. Sabrina’s dissertation critically examines these dynamics and offers a nuanced perspective on how such initiatives can effectively contribute to urban health innovation.
As one of the PhD candidates connected to the Centre for BOLD Cities, Sabrina has been a vital part of our academic community, contributing to our shared mission of creating citizen-centric, data-driven urban solutions. We are proud that professor Liesbet van Zoonen, academic director of the Centre, served on her promotion committee, reflecting the strong ties between her research and the Centre’s vision.
About dr. Sabrina Rahmawan-Huizenga
As a sociologist, Sabrina combines her academic insights with her work at the Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP), where she has been a researcher since May 2024. At SCP, she focuses on the social domain and the resilience of the local welfare state, reflecting her commitment to understanding and improving the systems that shape societal well-being.
We look forward to following her contributions to the field of urban health and the social domain.
Congratulations, Dr. Rahmawan-Huizenga!