Updated on 2026/09/21

写真a

 
ORTIZ MOYA, Fernando
 
Affiliation
Affiliated organization, Waseda Institute for Advanced Study
Job title
Assistant Professor(non-tenure-track)
Degree
PhD in Architecture ( 2016.03 The University of Tokyo )
MSc in Urban Studies ( 2011.11 The University of Edinburgh )
MArch (Arquitecto, integrated 6-year professional degree) ( 2009.07 School of Architecture (ETSAM), Technical University of Madrid )
Profile

 I am an urbanist and sustainable development strategist who helps cities create resilient post-growth futures.


Currently based at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS), Waseda University in Tokyo, I work between research and policy, producing analysis and frameworks for cities facing post-growth realities, demographic changes, and sustainable development challenges. My work explores how people can continue to thrive—with good services, vibrant public spaces, and a strong sense of community—even as cities shrink and the climate changes.


My book, We’re Still Here: Regenerating Shrinking Cities from the Ground Up (University of California Press, 2026), argues that cities facing depopulation can embrace their smaller size and build on their unique character and history to enhance life for those who remain.


My research on post-growth urbanism and sustainable development has appeared in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Urban Affairs, npj Urban Sustainability, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, and Sustainable Cities and Society. My policy commentary has been featured in ICMA’s PM Magazine and in the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s SDG Knowledge Hub, bridging academic insight with practical implementation.


I hold a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Tokyo, an M.Sc. in Urban Studies from the University of Edinburgh, and a professional degree in Architecture and Urban Planning (M.Arch equivalent) from the Technical University of Madrid.

Research Experience

  • 2026.04
    -
    Now

    Waseda University   Waseda Institute for Advanced Study   Assistant Professor (Fixed-term)

  • 2025.07
    -
    2026.03

    Institute for Global Environmental Strategies   Chief Policy Researcher

  • 2019.01
    -
    2025.06

    Institute for Global Environmental Strategies   Policy Researcher

  • 2016.03
    -
    2019.01

    The University of Nottingham Ningbo China   Department of Architecture and Built Environment   Assistant Professor in Architecture and Built Environment

Education Background

  • 2012.10
    -
    2016.03

    Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo   Department of Architecture   PhD in Architecture  

  • 2010.09
    -
    2011.08

    the University of Edinburgh   College of Humanities and Social Sciences   MSc in the City (Urban Studies)  

  • 2003.09
    -
    2009.07

    Technical University of Madrid   School of Architecture (ETSAM)   MArch (Arquitecto, integrated 6-year professional degree)  

Research Areas

  • Architectural planning and city planning / Architectural history and design / Human geography / Environmental policy and social systems

Research Interests

  • Urban Planning

  • Shrinking Cities

  • Architecture

  • Architectural Design

  • Post-growth Urbanism

  • Urban and Territorial Planning

  • Urban Regeneration

  • Regional Revitalisation

  • Rural Revitalisation

  • Population Decline and Demographic Change

  • Sustainable Urban Development

  • SDG Localisation

  • Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)

▼display all

 

Papers

  • Relational follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda: accelerating the implementation of the sustainable development goals

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability   76   101558 - 101558  2025.10  [Refereed]  [Invited]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    2
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Urban planning responses to population decline in Japan’s shrinking cities: growth strategies vs. decline management

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Sarah Sieloff

    Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography     1 - 24  2025.09  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    4
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Contributions of the voluntary local review process to policy integration: evidence from frontrunner cities

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    npj Urban Sustainability   3 ( 1 ) 1 - 12  2023.04  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    30
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Sustainable transitions towards a resilient and decentralised future: Japan’s Circulating and Ecological Sphere (CES)

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Yatsuka Kataoka, Osamu Saito, Bijon Kumer Mitra, Kazuhiko Takeuchi

    Sustainability Science   16 ( 5 ) 1717 - 1729  2021.03  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    19
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Green growth strategies in a shrinking city: Tackling urban revitalization through environmental justice in Kitakyushu City, Japan

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Journal of Urban Affairs   42 ( 3 ) 312 - 332  2020.04  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    47
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Planning for Fewer: Growth Indicators and the Metric Trap in Japan’s Shrinking Towns

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan    2026.09

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

  • From land competition to reactivation: governing agrivoltaics in depopulating Japan

    Yugo Tanaka, Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Sustainability Science     1 - 7  2026.06  [Refereed]

    DOI

    Scopus

  • Cities’ review of the sustainable development goals and insights from voluntary local reviews

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Yizhao Yang

    npj Urban Sustainability   5 ( 1 ) 1 - 15  2025.07  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    8
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Operationalising the follow-up and review of the sustainable development goals at the local level: insights from European cities and their voluntary local review experience

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Journal of Urban Ecology   11 ( 1 ) 1 - 12  2025.01  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    　View Summary

    Abstract

    Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on well-designed and implemented follow-up and review (FUR) processes. Cities lack official recognition in the FUR architecture of the 2030 Agenda. This is a notable shortcoming, as cities are responsible for implementing at least two-thirds of their targets. To engage with the 2030 Agenda, cities have initiated FUR exercises through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) to establish benchmarks, report on their progress, and share best practices. This paper explores how cities are operationalising FUR through a thematic analysis of interviews with city officials of seven European cities that conducted two or more VLRs between 2019 and 2022. Our findings highlight three main ways in FUR processes through VLRs affect local sustainable policymaking: (i) by aligning global goals and targets with local monitoring and reporting; (ii) by integrating and timing evaluation with local action, thereby embedding the SDGs more deeply into municipal strategies; and (iii) by accelerating local action through innovative approaches (e.g. sustainability budgeting). We conclude that conducting FUR through VLRs positively contributes to SDGs implementation. However, to make this more likely to happen, FUR should be embedded in municipal processes and local FUR efforts should be better recognised in global sustainability agendas.

    DOI

    Scopus

    5
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Mapping everyday community life in suburban shrinking areas around Tokyo: case study of Minamiashigara, Kanagawa prefecture

    Alejandro Pineda, Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Jorge Almazán

    Planning Practice & Research   39 ( 3 ) 392 - 416  2024.01  [Refereed]

    DOI

    Scopus

    6
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Cities Building Back Better from COVID-19: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities in Localising the SDGs through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan    2022.09

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

  • Place attachment and identity in shrinking cities: anticipating decline by combining perceptions of locals and visitors in Chōfu, Japan

    Alejandro Pineda, Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Maroya Harigaya, Kyoko Suganuma, Jorge Almazán

    URBAN DESIGN International   28 ( 2 ) 103 - 121  2022.04  [Refereed]

    DOI

    Scopus

    14
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • New Narratives for Shrinking Cities: Creating a Sustainable Future in Suzu City, Japan

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     261 - 262  2021.09

    Authorship：Lead author

  • The impact of high-speed rail on the trajectories of shrinking cities: the case of the extension of the Shinkansen network in northern Japan

    Marco Reggiani, Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    International Planning Studies   27 ( 1 ) 91 - 106  2021.09  [Refereed]

    DOI

    Scopus

    12
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Urban Climate Plans in the UK and Japan: A Text Analysis

    Leticia Ozawa-Meida, Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Birgit Painter, Matthew Hengesbaugh, Ryoko Nakano, Tetsuro Yoshida, Eric Zusman, Subhes Bhattacharyya

    Climate   9 ( 6 ) 1 - 16  2021.06  [Refereed]

    DOI

    Scopus

    12
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Broken Promises of Capitalism’s Wonderland: Representing Uneven Development in Contemporary China and Japan

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Nieves Moreno

    Critical Sociology   46 ( 4-5 ) 745 - 759  2020.07  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

  • Revitalising Peripheral Areas Based on the Regional-CES Concept: Application to Imabetsu Town, Aomori

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     29 - 30  2020

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Using Shinkansen to Revitalise Shrinking Peripheral Regions: The Case of Imabetsu Town

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Marco Reggiani

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     703 - 704  2019.09

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Integrating the SDGs into Urban Climate Plans: Insights from Japan

    Eric Zusman, Ryoko Nakano, Matthew Hengesbaugh, Tetsuro Yoshida, Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Proceedings of the International Conference on Energising the SDGs through Appropriate Technology and Governance     23 - 44  2019.07

  • The incredible shrinking Japan: Cinematic representations of urban decline

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Nieves Moreno

    City   20 ( 6 ) 880 - 903  2016.11  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    9
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Refurbishment as a Regeneration Strategy: The Case of Pittsburgh

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     611 - 612  2016.08

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Green Regeneration: Tackling Urban Shrinkage in a De-industrialising Japanese City

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    The Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, 5th Series   8   177 - 186  2016

    Authorship：Lead author

  • A City to Leave or a City to Live? Impediments to Recovery from Urban Shrinkage in Pittsburgh

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     45 - 46  2015.09

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Mapping Tokyo’s Cinemas: Asakusa’s Urban Development in Early Modern Japan

    Nieves Moreno, Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    At the Borders of (Film) History. Temporality, Archaeology and Theories     441 - 452  2015.07  [Refereed]

  • Coping with shrinkage: Rebranding post-industrial Manchester

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Sustainable Cities and Society   15   33 - 41  2015.07  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    44
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Paisaje del Japón Industrial: Kitakyushu, Reflejos Cinematográficos de la Ciudad del Acero

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Nieves Moreno

    Intervalo II: entre Geografía e Cinemas     169 - 190  2015  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Filming industrial Japan: Kitakyushu, rise and decline of the iron town

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya, Nieves Moreno

    Regional Studies, Regional Science   2 ( 1 ) 480 - 488  2015  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    7
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Dying City, Resurrecting City: Tackling Urban Shrinkage in Pittsburgh and Manchester

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    IASUR First International Conference Proceedings    2014.10

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Turning Urban Shrinkage: Learning from Manchester

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    Gakujutsu Kōen Kōgai-shū, Architectural Institute of Japan     955 - 956  2014.09

    Authorship：Lead author

  • Flagship Development Rebranding Shrinkage: The Case of Manchester

    Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    ICSDEC 2012: Developing the Frontier of Sustainable Design, Engineering, and Construction     230 - 237  2013.01  [Refereed]

    Authorship：Lead author, Corresponding author

    DOI

    Scopus

    1
    Citation
    (Scopus)

  • Semi-Public Spaces in Tokyo: Informal Appropriation of Common Spaces as a Domestic Extension

    Alejandro Martinez, Fernando Ortiz-Moya

    House and Home: From a Theoretical Perspective     126 - 132  2012.11

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Books and Other Publications

  • We're Still Here: Regenerating Shrinking Cities from the Ground Up

    Ortiz-Moya, Fernando( Part： Sole author)

    University of California Press  2026.03 ISBN: 9780520421394  [Refereed]

    　View Summary

    In a world that expects cities to fuel economic growth and attract millions of people every year, there's something unnerving about the phrase "shrinking cities." But thousands of cities are getting smaller, leaving vacant homes, abandoned factories, and oversized infrastructure. Shrinking cities pose a new problem for urban planners: how to manage the transition to fewer residents with a tool kit designed for expansion.

    Urbanist Fernando Ortiz-Moya argues that instead of chasing regrowth, cities can embrace their smaller size and build on their unique character and history to enhance life for those who remain. We're Still Here contrasts official responses to shrinkage with spontaneous bottom-up actions led by traditionally marginalized residents in the cities of Pittsburgh, Manchester, and Kitakyushu. These stories show how decline becomes a springboard for social and physical (re)construction and justice-driven urbanism—revealing both the limits of pro-growth planning and the seeds of a new approach that he calls "(Re)City-Making." Far from a cautionary tale, this book makes a convincing case for the shrinking city as a laboratory for innovative, people-centered urban policy and collective empowerment.

Research Projects

  • Reimagining Shrinking Cities: Towards Sustainable Rural Futures

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2026.04
    -
    2029.03
     

Misc

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