Elena Cogato Lanza is an architect. She graduated from the University of Venice in 1991 and is a Doctor of Science (EPFL, 2000). Adjunct Professor affiliated to EPFL's Laboratory of Urbanism, she is the Head of the doctoral programme EDAR (Architecture and Sciences of the City). She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of HABITAT Research Centre. Her research interests lie at the crossroads between the history and the theory of urbanism. Urbanism in the twentieth-century; the decline of the modern city and the need to revalue its spatial and material heritage; the investigation of concepts and methods of analysis (especially visual ones) with strong interdisciplinary and systemic implications: these themes form the core of her scientific activities. Her teaching activities spread across all levels of education: bachelor, master, doctorate, continuing education. Her research projects and scientific activities have mainly been financed by the SNSF (including the COST and Sinergia programmes), swissuniversities, and by internal EPFL Grants. Among her publications: Post-Car World. Futurs de la ville-territoire (with F. Bahrami, S. Berger, L. Pattaroni, 2021), Territory in Crisis (with C. Bianchetti, 2015), Experimenting Proximity. The Urban Landscape Observatory (with Ch. Girot, 2014), De la différence urbaine (with L. Pattaroni et alii, 2013). She has contributed to journals such as AAFiles, OASE, Matière, and has edited monographic issues of Urban Planning, Contour, or FACES Journal d'Architecture. She acts as a member of various international scientific editorial committees.
Alongside her academic endeavors, she is Associate Publisher of the publishing house MétisPresses. She is the President of the Architectural and Urban Commission of the Canton of Fribourgeois.
From 2015 to 2024, she was the President of the Board of the Fondation Braillard Architects in Geneva.

Since 2021 Hors zone à bâtir. Image des principes directeurs pour le territoire non constructible.Elena Cogato Lanza, Paola Viganò, Partner Leaders.
Funded by REPUBLIQUE ET CANTON DE GENEVE, Département du territoire, Direction du Projet d'Agglomération Grand Genève
2020-2022 The narrative making of the city. Use and misuse of fiction, narrative and non-fiction narrative in the production of urban space.Elena Cogato Lanza: Partner Leader. Main Leader: Laurent Matthey, UNIGE.
Funded by Swiss National Science Foundation, COST, Division 1.
2018-2020
écotone Métropolitain. Un dispositif analytique et prospectif pour concevoir une ville saine et durable.Elena Cogato Lanza: Main Leader. Partnership: INRAE Rennes; Université de Neuchâtel; LaSur ENAC; HES SO HEPIA; Utopiana Genève.Funded by HABITAT Seed Money 2019.
2018-2019
Main Leader of the research project "Designing an interdisciplinary research and education concept in Ecological Habitats", in partnership with Lasur (Mer Luca Pattaroni), Far (Prof. Paolo Tombesi), HETS-SO (Prof. Marc Breviglieri), Global Heritage Fund (Dr. Salima Naji et David Gouery).
ENAC Exploratory Grant 2018.
2018-2021
Partner Leader of the research project "City and Production in the frame of crisis". Main Applicant : Professor Cristina Bianchetti, Politecnico di Torino.
Funded by Compagnia di San Paolo and Politecnico di Torino Joint Project Proposal (JPP).
2016-2017
Partner Leader of Urban gardening and human wellbeing in the greater Lausanne area. Partner Leaders : Phd Romano Wyss, HERUS, and Professors Alexandre Buttler, ECOS ; Christof Holliger, LBE ; MER Luiz Felippe de Alencastro, GR-CEL / IIE.
ENAC Exploratory Grant 2016.
2013-2017
Main Leader of the sub-project "Urbanity. Configuring a Post-Car world", in the frame of the main project "Post-car world. A trans-disciplinary multi-dimensional Simulation". Leader of the main project: Prof. Jacques Lévy. Partners: EPFL, ETHZ, USI.
Funded by Swiss National Science Foundation, Synergia.
2013-2017
Partner Leader of the research project "Social Housing. Frankfurt and Vienna". Main Leader: Professor Luca Ortelli, LCC-EPFL.
Funded by Swiss National Science Foundation, Division 1.
2013-2015
Partner Leader of the research project Territory in the Crisis. Main Leader: Professor Cristina Bianchetti, Polytechnique of Turin).
Funded by Compagnia di San Paolo in the frame of «Projects of internationalisation of research».
2009-2011
Partner Leader of the research project "1 km Well-being. The Urban Landscape Observatory". Main Leader: Professor Christophe Girot, NSL-D-ARCH, ETH Zurich.
Funded by «Swiss cooperation project in architecture», CEPF and CUS Funding.
2008-2012
Main Leader of the research project "Résistance et projet. Du destin des Grottes (1930-2030)". Partner Leader: Luca Pattaroni, Senior scientist EPFL ENAC Lasur.
Partnership EPFL and Fondation Braillard Architectes.
2004
Principal Investigator, Frictions et Transitions Projets pour l'avenir du canton de Neuchâtel. Partnership Fédération Neuchâteloise des Entrepreneurs and EPFL (INTER ENAC EPFL).
2003-2006
Research associate, research project "Plans et projets, Quelle articulation des échelles territoriales de l'urbanisme?" Main Leader: Professor Gilles Novarina, Town Planning Institut of Grenoble.
Funding: PUCA, French Ministry of Equipment, request for proposals « Concevoir et réaliser. Echelles et temporalités des projets urbains ».
2001-2003
Research associate to the network «Complexité-Cité», Equipe de Développement Urbain, UMR 5600 «Environnement Ville Société», INSA in Lyon.
2000-2001
Principal Investigator, "Nature et interdisciplinarité. Analyse du Mandat d'étude pour la revitalisation de l'Aire".
Fondation Braillard Architectes, Geneva.
1996-1997
Research assistant, research project "De l'Analyse sociale au projet urbain". Main Leaders: Profs. Gilles Barbey and Jean-Bernard Racine ; Partner Leaders : Pascal Amphoux and Ola Söderström.
Funded by Fonds UNIL-EPFL 1996.
1994-1995
Research associate, research project "Invention et usages de la cité d'entreprise d'Ugine". Leader : Ola Söderström.
Fondation Braillard Architectes, Geneva.
1992-1993
Research associate in the sub-project "Swiss Extensive Urbanisation" under the direction of A. Léveillé, Ecole d'Architecture of Geneva. Main Project : "Transformation of urban habitat", Leader : Professor Bernardo Secchi.
European research, association with Universities of Geneva, Groningen, Leuven, Porto, Thessalonique, Florence, Pescara, Venice.
1991-1992
Swiss confederation Fellow, research project : "Plans directeurs de Genève 1935-1936", at the Ecole d'Architecture of Geneva.
Grant of the Swiss Confederation & Conseil de l'Europe.

2023
Member of the Scientific Committee of Beyond Metropolization. Exploring new Hybrids, 10th International U&U PhD Seminar, Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai, ENSAP de Lille.
2023
Membre du comité d'organisation (avec Laurent Matthey, Simon Gaberell, Kaoutar Harchi, Julie Ambal de Entre Communication & Participation. Usage du transmedia storytelling en aménagement et urbanisme, Colloque final du projet de recherche The narrative making of the city, financé par le Fonds national de la recherche scientifique dans le cadre de l'action COST 18126 —Writing Urban Places. New Narratives of the European City, genève Pavillon Sicli le 16-17 février 2023.
2023
Member of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the International PhD Summer School Post-extraction territories in transition #2 Unveiling palimpsests of exploitation. Towards a new alliance between ecology and economy in marginal regions, EPFL Habitat Research Center with Post-Mining Network-Chaire post-minier, EDAR Doctoral Program, at Charleroi-B and Lens-F, 2-5 september.
2019
Chair, avec David Goeury, du Comité scientifique du Symposium international Dessiner des (éco)systèmes agro-urbains résilients. Urbanisme, architecture et agriculture au défi du changement climatique, Agadir, 09-10.09.2019. Centre HABITAT-EPFL, Global Heritage Fund, Université Ibn Zohr, Ecole d'Architecture d'Agadir, l'INAU de Rabat, l'Université Hassan II Casablanca, ENEC-Sorbonne Université, la Faculté ENAC de l'EPFL, programme doctoral EDAR- EPFL et la HETS-HES SO, Université de Genève.
2018
Chair du Comité scientifique, et coordination avec Chiara Cavalieri, de l'International Phd Seminar Habitats in Time. Habitat EPFL Research Center, EDAR Doctoral School, 12-14 Décembre 2018.
2018
Membre du Comité scientifique U&U, 9th International Phd Seminar Urbanism and Urbanization U&U, On Reproduction. Re-imagining the political ecology of urbanism, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University, 7th-8th February.
2018
Member of the Scientific committee of the International Conference Brussels Ecosystem in the frame of metrolab.brussels (UCL and ULB) FEDER, Brussels 18-19.10.2018.
2018
Member of the Scientific committee of the Session L'agriculture urbaine transforme-t-elle la ville?, in the frame of the Journées Biennales des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Université de Lausanne, 12-16 février.
2016
Member of the Scientific committee of the symposium Recherche et projet: productions spécifiques et apports croisés, in the frame of the inter-school seminar «Villes, territoires, Paysage», organised at ENSA Lille, 17-18 november. Chair de la session 6 : « Le projet comme outil d'enquête et production de connaissance », ENSAP Lille.
2015
Member of the Scientific committee of the International Symposium LATSIS 2015 The Horizontal Metropolis, organised at EPFL by Lab-U in collaboration with EDAR Doctoral School, 12-14 october.
2015
Member of the Scientific Board of the First Bernardo Secchi Working Seminar /Première Journée d'étude Bernardo Secchi, organised by Fondation Braillard Architectes, 22th September, Sicli Pavillon Geneva.
2014
Member of the Scientific committee of the International Symposium The Narrative of Landscape, organised by Lab-U EPFL, Archizoom EPFL, Journal Topos, 7-9 october.
2013
Member of the Scientific committee of the conference Faire des histoires ? Du récit d'urbanisme à l'urbanisme fictionnel : faire la ville à l'heure de la société du spectacle, 11th septembre 2013, Fondation Braillard Architectes.
2012
Member of the Scientific committee of the conference Paysage en partage. Sensibilités et mobilisations paysagères dans la conduite de projet urbain, 25th april 2012, Fondation Braillard Architectes.
2012
Scientific coordinator of the seminar L'affiche dans la ville. Coment l'affichage peut-il «faire espace public»? organised by LCC-ENAC, LASUR-ENAC, Contrepoint Projets urbain agency, and fastt architects associés agency, EPFL, the 30th octobre.
2005-2006
Scientific coordinator of the seminar series « Penser l'espace. L'imaginaire de l'urbain en actions», directed by professor Jacques Lévy. Partnership: Chôros-ENAC-EPFL, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, The Directorate of Architecture and Heritage (France) and the Fondation Braillard Architectes.
2005
Membre du comité scientifique du Colloque international ERAU (European Symposium on Research in Architecture, Urban and Landscape Design), L'espace de la grande échelle en question, organisé par le Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Direction de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, 23-25 novembre, Ecole d'Architecture de Lille.
2003
Coordination du programme de conférences et d'animations Désirs d'architecture, pour la Fondation Braillard Architectes à Genève, premier semestre 2003.
2002
Sixième Conférence internationale d'Histoire Urbaine Power, Knowledge and Society in the city, pour l'Association Européenne d'Histoire Urbaine, Edinburgh 5-7.09.2002. Coordination scientifique de l'atelier «The value of practice and knowledge in building the Second Postwar city» avec Patrizia Bonifazio (Université de Turin).
2000
Cinquième Conférence internationale d'Histoire Urbaine European Cities: Networks and Crossroads, pour l'Association Européennne d'Histoire Urbaine, Berlin 31.08-2.09.2000. Coordination scientifique de l'atelier «Theory and practice in building the 20th century city: models, images, case studies» avec Patrizia Bonifazio (Université de Turin) et Paolo Scrivano (Université de Milan-Bovisa).
1998&1999
Participation au séminaire d'Histoire des villes organisé à Lyon par Pierre-Yves Saunier, chercheur CNRS, et financé par le Pôle lyonnais du PIR Villes/ Maison Rhône-Alpes.
1997
Coordination du colloque Pratiques et Projets. Analyser les pratiques sociales et concevoir le projet architectural et urbain, à l'Institut Kurt Bösch, Sion, les 2-4 octobre 1997. Organisation: Fondation Braillard Architectes, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Université de Lausanne, Université de Genève.

2019-ongoing
Membre du Comité scientifique et executif du Master of Advanced Studies in Urban and Territorial Design (MAS ETHZ-EPFL UTD) et responsable, avec Anna Pagani, de l'enseignement System Thinking in the Age of Transition.

2017-2020
Membre du Comité pédagogique du CAS 1 Thèmes et Echelles de l'Urbanisme, dans le cadre du MAS en Urbanisme, EPFL-Université de Genève.