Hoai Anh Tran

Hoai Anh Tran is an Associate Professor at the Department of Urban Studies, Malmö University. She conducts research in the field of urban studies, housing studies, urban planning, public space and mobility studies.

Main fields of interest: Urban studies (focus on Vietnam), Urban Space production, State-society relation, Informality.

Hoai Anh Tran's research in Vietnam explores the tensions between homogenous, top-down, planned spaces that are produced by large-scale urban projects, and the diverse, dynamic urban environments shaped by ordinary residents through their everyday spatial practices. It highlights the critical role of urban residents in urbanisation processes and in influencing policy development. Her most recent publication is about this topic: People-led Urban Development in Vietnam. Interstitial Practices and the Production of Differential Spaces in Hanoi, Routledge, August 2025.

Tran's research in Sweden examines the discourses of sustainable urban planning and public space, with a particular focus on how urban residents produce publicness through everyday practices and how these activities shape the social and spatial dynamics of the city.