Ben Bowles

Ben Bowles is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at SOAS - University of London. His PhD research (2012-2015) was with 'boaters', itinerant boat-dwellers on the canals and rivers of London. This research has recently been published as a monograph ('Boaters of London: Alternative Dwelling on the Water', Berghahn, May 2024). Ben has also completed postdoctoral research on the UK Government's design and assurance of infrastructure projects, on the infrastructure finance landscape in the UK (including the privatisation of water), on policing in the UK, and on disengagement and dissatisfaction in British electoral politics. He has published widely on alternative communities dwelling on inland waterways and on the measures taken by states to govern boat-dwellers and their mobility. He is also a Lecturer at Fordham University - London Campus and a Research Fellow at the Open University's Department for Policing. 

Philip Hayward

Philip Hayward is an adjunct professor at University of Technology Sydney, a contracted researcher at Western Sydney University and, currently, a visiting researcher at the University of Udine. He is also editor of the online journal Shima and is a strategic advisor for the River Cities Network. He has published widely on aspects of marine and riverine environments and societies in journals such as Anthropocenes, Island Studies Journal and the Journal of Marine and Island Cultures. He is currently co-editing a volume on blue-green restoration in urban environments for CABI and a volume on the concept of the aquapelago for Routledge. 

Maarja Kaaristo

Maarja Kaaristo is Senior Lecturer in Tourism Mobilities and Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She publishes mostly on inland waterways, place, mobilities, transport, rural tourism and qualitative research methods. She is the co-convenor of the Anthropology and Mobility Research Network (AnthroMob) of European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) and serves as an Associate Editor for the journals Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality and the Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics. Her most recent publication is the special issue of The Geographical Journal “Geographies of Inland Waterscapes”, co-edited with Francesco Visentin (2024).

Davide Papotti

Davide Papotti is professor of Geography in the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries at the University of Parma (Italy). He studied at the University of Parma (Laurea in Materie Letterarie in 1993), at the University of Virginia (Master of Arts in Italian literature in 1996), and at the University of Padua (Ph.D in Geography in 2002). He also teaches for the Boston College overseas program in Parma. He is the author of the books Geografie della scrittura. Paesaggi letterari del medio Po (1996), L’altro e l’altrove. Antropologia, geografia e turismo (with Marco Aime; 2012), Confini. Realtà e invenzioni (with Marco Aime). He has published more than 120 essays in journals and edited volumes. Among his main research interests there are: geography and literature, tourism marketing, place marketing, the cultural geography of the river Po area (Northern Italy).

Satya Maia Patchineelam

Satya Maia Patchineelam is an accomplished professional with expertise in architecture, urban planning, and environmental sustainability. Currently completing her doctoral studies in Urban Governance and Development at Erasmus University Rotterdam, she holds a graduate diploma in Architecture from Universidade Gama Filho, Brazil, and a master's degree in Environmental and Sustainable Development from University College London. With seven years of architectural experience, Satya has transitioned into academia and research, contributing to initiatives like PRONATEC in Brazil and environmental preservation efforts in the Amazon. In 2021, she co-founded the River Cities Network, where she serves as co-coordinator and academic advisor. Satya leads the network's flagship project, focusing on the Xingu River, showcasing her dedication to sustainable urban development. Her diverse background and commitment to positive change make her a valuable asset in addressing critical urban and environmental challenges.

Paul Rabé

Paul Rabé is academic coordinator of the cities cluster at the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden, the Netherlands, and coordinator of the River Cities Network. In addition, Paul is Lead Expert in Urban Land Governance at the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, where he heads the Land Management team. He is a political scientist by training, with a doctoral degree in policy, planning and development from the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. Paul has over 25 years of experience in advisory work and capacity building as well as research and teaching on urban policy topics. His research and professional interests focus on urban land governance and the intersection of land (use) policy and the management of water and water bodies in urban and peri-urban areas.    

Francesco Visentin

Francesco Visentin is a cultural geographer and teaches Human geography and Geographies of Central and Eastern Europe. He is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Languages and Literature, Communication Education and Society of the University of Udine, Italy. His research focuses on water-land-scapes changes, and he is currently involved in several projects concerning cultural heritage, landscape evolution and the tourism imaginaries. He is also interested in the relationship between art, literature and geography, the narrative of heritageisation processes and the mundane landscapes. Sometimes he wanders along rivers and canals exploring the everyday geographies. He edited with Francesco Vallerani Waterways and the Cultural Landscape with Routledge (2018) and published the book Geografie d’acqua: paesaggi ibridi (2024) with Marsilio. His most recent publication is the special issue of The Geographical Journal “Geographies of Inland Waterscapes”, co-edited with Maarja Kaaristo (2024)