Remembering Michael Safier: A pioneering scholar in urban planning

Our dear colleague, Michael Safier, sadly passed away on November 9 at the age of 83.  He was a pivotal figure in urban planning and a dedicated scholar, teacher, and practitioner in the field of development planning. He joined the Architectural Association (AA) Department of Development and Tropical Studies in 1970, following two years as a Research Fellow at The Makerere Institute of Social Research, Kampala in Uganda. In 1971, together with other dear colleagues, he joined the academic staff of the newly founded Development Planning Unit (DPU), academically attached to what was then, the School of Environment Studies in University College London (UCL). He taught at University College London’s The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU), from 1972 until his retirement, where he championed “urban development planning” and “cosmopolitan development” in course modules and Master's programmes. He was central to every aspect of the DPU for 40 years, until his retirement in 2006.  We will always be grateful for the valuable time and discussions he so generously shared with both staff and students. He was a cherished colleague and close friend to many.

His life's work centred on urban development planning, post-conflict reconstruction, and the complex challenges of planning in divided societies. A leading advocate for “cosmopolitan development,” Safier envisioned cities as spaces where cultural groups could co-exist peacefully, fostering dialogue and understanding in often fractured urban environments. This vision became a foundational element in his teaching, research, and professional practice, resonating through his work across several cities.

At the core of his thinking were the concepts of  “room for manoeuvre” for transformative urban development, “urbicide” and “cosmopolitan planning.”  They reflected his deep commitment to understanding and mitigating the violence and division inherent in many urban environments.  Safier’s work on the latter began with his engagement in Jerusalem and Sarajevo, where he sought solutions to bridge divides in deeply conflicted regions. His philosophy emphasized the urgent need to “learn how to live together or die apart,” a perspective he first articulated in 1996. His ideas have gained renewed importance as urban conflicts and polarization escalate globally.

Safier’s influence extended far beyond the classroom; he served as a consultant and adviser for numerous international projects, advising the UNDP, World Bank, ODA, UNHCS, DFID, and various governmental bodies across countries such as Iran, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, South Africa, Israel-Palestine, and Bosnia. Notably, his work with the Commission on the Future of Jerusalem (1993) and the Bosnian Institute of Regional and Urban Development (2001–2005) underscored his dedication to conflict-ridden cities.

Further reading

View Michael Safier’s profile on the DPU associate website.

The legacy of 'cosmopolitan development': towards a new research agenda.

“Look back look forward” video.

Selected publications

Safier, M. (1996) The cosmopolitan challenge in cities on the edge of the  millennium: Moving from conflict to  coexistence. City,1,12-29

2. Safier, M. (1997) Managing division. City,2,188-190

3. Safier, M. (1997) Postwar reconstruction from  the ground-up, Notes on the organisation  and management of Urban Development  after violent conflict in divided cities, Trialog  54, A journal for Planning and Building in the Third World, 3/1997

4. Safier, M. (2000) Chances for the Reconstruction of Bosnian Cities: Markets, States and Civil Society in the Economic Development of Cities under the Transition to a Market Economy. 2000. Urb-Forum. 

5. Safier, M., (2001) Confronting ‘Urbicide’ Crimes against Humanity, Civility and  Diversity and the Case for a Cosmopolitan response to the attack on New York (‘9/11’), CITY journal, Vol.5, No. 3, pp.416-29

6. Safier, M., (2001), The Struggle for  Jerusalem: Arena of Nationalist Conflict or  Crucible of Cosmopolitan Co-existence? On Collective Cultural Identities, Critical Theories and Insurgent Practices: Lessons from a ‘Limit Case’”, CITY journal, Vol. 5. No. 2, pp. 135-168

7. Safier, M., (2001) The ‘Jerusalemite’  question, Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics,  Economics and Culture Vol 8, no 3, 2001

8. Safier, M., (2002) The ‘Jerusalemite’ question (Part 2), Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture Vol 8, no 4