Rana Hassan is an urban researcher currently pursuing her PhD in Sustainability and Urban Regeneration in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Her thesis studies the current situation of urban grassroots initiatives in Lebanon and their potential to foster a transformation in the role played by civil society in the production of urban space. Her research interests include the informal development of urban suburbs and Palestinian Camps in Lebanon; the community participation in urban processes; and the grassroots urban activism. She holds an MSc in Urban Planning and Policy from the American University of Beirut, with a thesis entitled: Bypassing Exclusionary Laws: The Case of the Informal Development of Nahr El Bared Camp’s Extension.