About Ruben

Founder & Lead Consultant — Aesthetic City Consultancy

I’m Ruben Hanssen, urbanist, strategist, creator and founder of The Aesthetic City. I bring a decade of experience in urban planning and built-environment advocacy into helping cities and developers shape places that are attractive, functional and enduring.

My academic grounding in Urban Planning (University of Amsterdam) and Urbanism (Delft University of Technology) gives me solid technical foundations, while years of research, education and interaction with some of the world's leading experts on urban design with The Aesthetic City have sharpened my vision for how great cities actually work.

Cities are about people first. Places that feel beautiful, liveable and resilient invite interaction, improve wellbeing and create lasting value.

This principle drives everything I do.

Through consultancy, strategic advice and bespoke project support, I work with public and private partners to:

• Advise on urban design and planning strategies that foster human-centred, attractive environments

• Evaluate development proposals through the lens of timeless, place-based design

• Help align policy, design and community outcomes to create healthier, more prosperous places

My work blends rigorous design thinking with clear communication and an eye for what truly elevates a place. I’m deeply invested in helping leaders and teams rethink their approach to planning, design and urban governance so that beauty and utility go hand in hand: not as an afterthought, but as a strategic asset.

I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, travel widely to study cities and cultures all over the world, and channel what I learn into robust, practical guidance for making places people love.