All Things Urban

The Urban95 Academy is a fully-funded (free to participants) executive education programme for municipal leaders worldwide who want to learn and develop strategies to make cities better for babies, toddlers and their caregivers. The Academy is a joint collaboration between the Van Leer Foundation and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The course is delivered over 7 weeks online and participants join a growing global network of practitioners working to improve the lives of children in their cities. Some cities will have the opportunity to study in-person in London and access further technical support.

Programme Structure

Online Learning Phase

February 2026 | Fully online | Approx. 4 hours per week

• 15 online modules released weekly via a dedicated learning platform
• 7 live Zoom sessions with LSE faculty, guest experts, and peers
• Flexible, self-paced learning combined with live discussions

At least one team member must attend each live session. All team members are welcome to join.

Residence Week (by invitation)

July 2026 | In-person | London

Based on final assignments and overall engagement, 10 cities will be invited to an all-expenses-paid Residence Week at LSE, including:

• Intensive workshops
• Site visits across London
• Public lectures and networking
• Peer exchange with global city leaders

What You’ll Gain

• Tools to analyse early childhood needs and inequalities in your city
• Frameworks to design and deliver child-centred urban policies
• Insights into governance, leadership, and cross-department coordination
• Certificate of Completion from LSE
• Long-term access to the Urban95 global network of city practitioners

Key Dates

• Application deadline: 30 January 2026
• Programme start (online): February 2026
• Residence Week: July 2026 (London)

Please specify in your application that you found this opportunity through All Things Urban.

Cities apply with a team of three professionals working in or closely with local government, including:

• Mayors and Deputy Mayors
• Municipal leaders and public sector decision-makers
• City planners, designers, and urban professionals

Requirements:

• At least one team member must have 10+ years of relevant experience
• An official letter of support from the Mayor or city executive is required

Participants receive a certificate of completion from the LSE after successfully completing the course.

The Urban95 Academy launched in January 2022 and has delivered the programme to 435 cites, 137 mayors, 79 countries. Taking part in the Urban95 Academy connects you to a growing network of engaged and motivated urban practitioners around the world, who are working to improve the lives of young children and caregivers in their cities.
Find out more on our website.

The London School of Economics and Political Science is a social science university based in central London with a global reach. Ranked first in Europe and second in the world for social sciences and management in the QS subject rankings 2021. Since 1895 the LSE has been pioneering social science research, challenging existing ways of thinking, and seeking to understand the causes of things in order to transform them.

LSE Cities is an international centre that investigates the complexities of the contemporary city. It carries out research, graduate and executive education, outreach and advisory activities in London and abroad. Extending LSE’s century-old commitment to the understanding of urban society, LSE Cities investigates how complex urban systems are responding to the pressures of growth, change and globalisation with new infrastructures of design and governance that both complement and threaten social equity and environmental sustainability.

The Van Leer Foundation is an independent Dutch organisation working globally to foster inclusive societies where all children and communities can flourish. The Foundation brings together people with different perspectives and supports them to achieve large-scale impact. Their support involves a unique combination of funding, networks, executive education, technical assistance and knowledge.