Leah Lazer is a PhD student in Urban Studies at the University of Basel. Her research project “Geopolitics and Gridlock: The Impact of Foreign Finance on Urban Mobility in the Global South” investigates how foreign aid and investment influence the development of urban mobility systems in cities of the Global South. Her project explores how different types of funding and financing (such as multilateral loans, development aid, or public-private partnerships) shape whether cities pursue car-centric infrastructures or more sustainable, inclusive modes like public transit. Through a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis of international infrastructure finance flows and in-depth qualitative case studies, this research will offer new insights into the political and financial forces shaping mobility futures in the Global South.

Leah also works as a Circular Economy Expert at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, supporting European cities on urban circular economy projects. Previously, over seven years at the World Resources Institute in Washington DC and London, she authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications on urban planning, mobility, climate action, just transitions, circular economy, and air quality. Her work has been presented at the UN Climate Action Summit and COP26 and featured in The Guardian, Time Magazine, WIRED, and The Wall Street Journal.

Leah holds an MSc in Regional and Urban Planning Studies from the London School of Economics and a BA in Food System Studies from Tufts University. She currently lives in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.