For best experience please turn on javascript and use a modern browser!
You are using a browser that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Please upgrade your browser. The site may not present itself correctly if you continue browsing.

Dr. D.W. (David) Laws

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Faculty of Science
Photographer: onbekend

Visiting address
  • Science Park 904
Postal address
  • Postbus 94224
    1090 GE Amsterdam
Contact details
  • Profile

    David Laws (Ph.D. 1998, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. Before coming to Amsterdam, he worked at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Sloan School of Management at MIT and with the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. His research focuses on the relationship between negotiation and conflict resolution, public administration, and democratic governance. He has worked as a consultant for the New York Stock Exchange, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Air National Guard, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of VROM.

  • Articles

    Articles and publications

    "Policy and Practice," in M. Moran, R. Goodin, and M.Rein (eds) Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, (Oxofrd: Oxford University Press. (with M. Hajer)
    "Policy Frame and Discourse," in M. Moran, R. Goodin, and M.Rein (eds) Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, (Oxofrd: Oxford University Press. (with M. Hajer)
    "The Practice of Innovation: Institutions, policy, and technology development," in A. Slob and P.P. Verbeek (eds) User Behavior and Technology Design. (Kluwer 2005)
    "Reframing Practice", in M. Hajer and H. Wagenaar (eds) Deliberative Policy Analysis, (Cambridge University Press: 2002) (with M. Rein)
    "Public Entrepreneurship Networks," Reportto the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, The Netherlands," April, 2001.
    "Controversy, Reframing, and Reflection," in W. Salet and A. Fauldi (eds) The Revival of Strategic Spatial Planning. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences 2000. (with M. Rein)
    "The Representation of Stakeholding Interests" in L.Susskind, S. McKearnan, and J. Thomas-Larner (eds.) The Consensus Building Handbook. (Sage: 1999)
    Planning in the Shadow of the Future: Intergenerational Ethics and Environmental Decision-Making, PhD. Dissertation. Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. June, 1998
    "Research for Policy and Practice" in David Tucker et al eds. Integrating Knowledge and Practice Westport Conn: Praeger 1997. (with Martin Rein).
    "The Historical Present". Invited presentation. Journees d'etudes juridiques Jean Dabin: The Proceduralization of Law. Centre de Philosophie du Droit, Universite Catholique de Louvain, October, 1997.
    Methods and Techniques for Decision Makingin Public Participation Processes. Center of Technology Assessment, Baden-Wurttemberg. Invited speaker.
    "The Practice of Fairness," Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol 16 no. 2. 1996.
    "Talking With the Future: Sustainability and Stewardship as Intergenerational Dialogue," National Forum: The Phi Kappa Phi Journal (1995).(with Lawrence Susskind)
    "A Political Conception of Intergenerational Obligations," Invited paper. Annual Meeting of the American Nuclear Society, Philadelphia, PA June 1995.
    David Laws and Ambuj D. Sagar, eds. Human Health and the Environment: Unanswered Questions, Unquestioned Answers. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Special
    Issue, Volume 14, Numbers 5/6, September, November 1994.
    "Responsabilite transgenerationnelle et decisions publiques," Communications: Generations et filiation, 59, 1994.
    "Siting Solid Waste Management Facilities in the U.S.," in McGraw Hill Handbook of Integrated Solid Waste Management, F. Krieth ed, 1994. (with Lawrence Susskind)
    "Future Generations and Public Decision-Making," Presented at the Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Philadelphia, PA November, 1993.
    "Changing Perspectives onthe Facility Siting Process," Maine Policy Review, Volume 1, Number 1, December, 1991. (with Lawrence Susskind)
    Information Resources and Landscape Planning: An Integrated Approach to Development and Application. Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station Research Bulletin Number 732. 1990. (with Julius Fabos, and Meir Gross)
    "The Antarctic Minerals Regime Negotiations," in Nine Case Studies in International Environmental Negotiations, Lawrence E. Susskind, Esther Siskind, and J. William Breslin eds. 1990
    "Information Resources and Public Decision-Making," Proceedings of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 1989. (with Julius Fabos, and Meir Gross)

  • Research&Consulting

    Research & consulting


    RESEARCH

    Amsterdam Centre for Conflict Studies, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    Founder and Director. 2006 - present
    Environmental Technology and Public Policy Program, Department of Urban Studies and
    Planning, MIT. Director. 1996 - 2007
    Alliance for Global Sustainability
    Comparative research on institutional innovation and technology development. 1999-present
    Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
    Project on comparative environmental governance.
    Current.
    Directorate Strategic Planning
    Ministry of Housing, Spatial, Planning and the Environment, The Netherlands. 1999-2001.
    Future Generations in the Present, a workshop sponsored by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT, the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program, and the Future Generations Alliance Foundation, Osaka, Japan. Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
    May 1994. Director
    National Workshop on Facility Siting, Department of Urban Studies and Planning,
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Research Associate, 1989-1994.
    Deciding for the Future: Balancing Risks and Benefits Fairly Across Generations, National Academy of Public Administration, Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs, and U.S. Department of Energy DesignShop. 1994
    Pew/Carnegie Project on International Compliance and Dispute Settlement, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School. Pew Research Associate 1991-93
    Center for Rural Massachachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Research Associate, 1989-90.
    METLAND Research Group, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Research Assistant 1986-1989

    CONSULTING

    United States Environmental Protection Agency , 2000-2001.
    Center for Technology, Policy, and Industrial Development, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993 - 1995
    United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, 1994.
    U.S. Agency for International Development, Environmental Policy and Technology Project, 1993 - 1994.
    U.S. Air National Guard, 1993; 2000.
    Environmental Resources Management Ltd., London, U.K., 1990.
    Ecologia Inc., Amherst, Massachusetts, 1989.

  • Public Mediation

    The Public Mediation Programme (PMP) is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. It is a dedicated programme on public mediation, where research and practice are intertwined.

    PMP seeks to develop the practice and profession of public mediation in the Netherlands by:

    • deepening the understanding of public disputes
    • providing training to public officials and practitioners
    • giving practical support

    More information

  • Publications

    2023

    2020

    2019

    2014

    2013

    • Cobb, S., Laws, D., & Sluzki, C. (2013). Modeling Negotiation Using "Narrative Grammar": Exploring the Evolution of Meaning in a Simulated Negotiation. Group Decision and Negotiation, 23(5), 1047-1065. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-012-9334-2 [details]

    2011

    2010

    • Laws, D., Verloo, N., & Poorter, M. (2010). Kennis voor beleid: verkopen of verknopen? = Knowledge for policy: hard sell or collaborative effort? In M. Hajer, J. Grijzen, & S. van 't Klooster (Eds.), Sterke verhalen: hoe Nederland de planologie opnieuw uitvindt = Strong stories: how the Dutch are reinventing spatial planning (pp. 72-81). (Design and Politics; No. 3). 010. [details]

    2009

    • Forester, J., & Laws, D. (2009). Toward a naturalistic research ethics: or how mediators must act well to learn, if they are to practice effectively. In F. Lo Piccolo, & T. Huw (Eds.), Ethics and planning research (pp. 179-189). Ashgate. [details]
    • Hajer, M. A., Laws, D., & Versteeg, W. (2009). Authority through deliberative governance: the British food standards agency in action. In M. A. Hajer (Ed.), Authoritative governance: policy-making in the age of mediatization (pp. 125-169). Oxford University Press. [details]

    2012

    • Hogendoorn, D., Laws, D., Lividikou, D., & Petersen, A. (2012). Framing Practice in an Uncertain Climate: Adaptation and Water Management in the Netherlands. In H. A. Karl, L. Scarlett, J. C. Vargas-Moreno, & M. Flaxman (Eds.), Restoring lands: coordinating science, politics, and action (pp. 305-334). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2549-2_14 [details]

    2010

    2016

    2013

    2012

    2011

    • Janssens, F., & Laws, D. W. (2011). Normal Conflict. Paper.. Paper presented at Interpretative Policy Analysis Conference, .
    • Laws, D. W., Verloo, N., & Janssens, F. (2011). Presentations of cases.
    • Verloo, N., & Laws, D. W. (2011). Performing gossip: agency and change in urban neighborhood development. Paper presented at 6th Interpretative Policy Analysis Conference, .

    Membership / relevant position

    • Verloo, N., Laws, D. W. & Ter Hoeven, S. (2012). Evaluating the Neighbourhood Practitioners Team, Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.
    • Laws, D. W. (2011). Workshop "Citizen Governance in Diverse Neighbourhoods", Universiteit van Amsterdam, Oude Turfmarkt 129, 1090 GK Amsterdam.
    • Laws, D. W. (2011). Practitioner Training "Adaptive Leadership", Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.
    • Laws, D. W. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training "Adaptive Leadership", Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.
    • Laws, D. W. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training, Stadsdeel Amsterdam Oost.
    • Laws, D. W. & Halfman, I. (2011). Practitioner Training "Leiderschap Zonder Macht", Stadsdelen Amsterdam Oost en Amsterdam West.
    • Laws, D. W., Leary, K. R., Verloo, N. & Klaverweide, M. (2011). Practitioner Training "Adaptive Leadership", Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.
    • Kuitenbrouwer, M., Laws, D. W. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training "Leiderschap Zonder Macht", Dagelijks Bestuur Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.
    • Laws, D. W., Halfman, I. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training, Noord-West Utrecht.
    • Laws, D. W., Halfman, I. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training "Story Boarden", Stadsdeel Amsterdam Oost.
    • Laws, D. W., Halfman, I. & Verloo, N. (2011). Practitioner Training "Story Boarden", Stadsdeel Amsterdam West.

    Talk / presentation

    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (28-11-2014). Hot Adaptation: Working between facts and stakeholders, Invited presentation at University of Tokyo Hongo Campus: Science, Technology, and Innovation Goverance International Symposium 2014, Tokyo.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (3-7-2014). Interpreting Facilitation, invited lecture at Interpretive Policy Analysis Conference, Wageningen University, Wageningen.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (31-1-2014). Making a research-practice partnership work: approaches from Amsterdam and Sheffield, Invited Presentation at Sheffield University, Sheffield.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (7-8-2013). "Innovation, Conflict, and Improvisation" Keynote Address, Struggling with Innovations? Social Innovations and Conflicts in Urban Development and Planning., Erkner, Germany: IRS Leibniz-Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning.
    • Boutellier, H. (invited speaker) & Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (18-10-2012). Symposium ‘Een vulkaan vol kansen; Over trends in en potenties van maatschappelijke spanningen’, Forum, Utrecht.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (15-5-2012). Designing for Effective & Legitimate Participation, Citizen and Stakeholder Participation in Infrastructure Planning and Projects: Innovative Methods, Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker), Janssens, F. (invited speaker) & Halfman, I. (invited speaker) (29-3-2012). Presentation of research findings, Presentation for Cornell University, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (1-3-2012). Cities and Change: Designing for and through practical deliberation, Symposium: Reforming Science, Technology Innovation Policy Making Process and Human Resource Development, Tokyo: Graduate School of Public Policy, Policy Alternatives Research Institute, The University of Tokyo.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (28-11-2011). Governance and Knowledge, Mediation in Environmental Conflict Management: New Frontiers, Politecnico di Milano, Italy.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (27-10-2011). Governing Cities: Policy, Conflict, and Street Level Practice. Keynote Address., Planning/Urban Conflict: critical perspective on contentious urban development. International research conference, Technical University Berlin, Germany.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) & Verloo, N. (invited speaker) (23-6-2011). Presentation "Performing Gossip: Agency and change in neighborhood development", Interpretative Policy Analysis Conference, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Wagenaar, H. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker), Metze, T. (invited speaker) & van Hulst, M. (invited speaker) (23-6-2011). Starting with practice: policy analysis in complex urban governance. Panel, Interpretative Policy Analysis Conference, Cardiff, UK.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker), Metze, T. A. P. (invited speaker) & van Hulst, M. (invited speaker) (23-6-2011). Starting with practice: policy analysis in complex urban governance. Panel convener, 7th Interpretative Policy Analysis Conference, Tilburg.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (16-5-2011). Beleidsbemiddeling, Landelijke conferentie ‘De informele Awb-procedure of informele aanpak?’, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, Den Haag.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (19-4-2011). Framing an Uncertain Climate Change, Ruimteconferentie 2011, Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving. Rotterdam.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker), Janssens, F. (invited speaker) & Halfman, I. (invited speaker) (28-3-2011). Presentation of research findings, Presentation for Cornell University, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker), Janssens, F. (invited speaker) & Halfman, I. (invited speaker) (24-3-2011). Presentation of case studies, Presentations for Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, Washington D.C..
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker), Janssens, F. (invited speaker), Verloo, N. (invited speaker) & Halfman, I. (invited speaker) (22-3-2011). Harvard Program on Negotiation, presentations of findings, Harvard Program on Negotiation, Boston.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (30-9-2009). Concluding Speaker, Netherlands National Conference on Public Policy Mediation. Co-Sponsored by the Ministry of Binnenlandsezaken and the Amsterdam Centre for Conflict Studies., University of Amsterdam.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (10-9-2009). "Innovative consensus building techniques in the crisis society." Faculty Presentation, Innovation and Creativity: New Solutions to the Challenges of the New Europe. International Summer School on the Problems of the New Europe XV, Institute of International Sociology. Gorizia, Italy.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (25-8-2009). Scientists as Citizens: Citizens as Scientists." Chair., Towards Knowledge Democracy. Sponsored by RMNO, Leiden.
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) & Forester, J. (invited speaker) (8-6-2009). Multi-stakeholder Inquiry: participation, negotiation, and power, European Science Foundation, Qualitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland..
    • Laws, D. W. (invited speaker) (15-5-2009). "Organizing Research Practice Relationships in Conflict and Urban Governance". Invited presentation, ESRC seminar on Policy as Practice, Edinburgh University.

    Others

    • Laws, D. W. (participant) (3-7-2014 - 5-7-2014). Interpretive Policy Analysis Conference (Wageningen University), Wageningen. Chair and organizer: Affect and Uncertainty in the Backyard (workshop at conference) (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (participant) (3-7-2014 - 5-7-2014). Interpretive Policy Analysis Conference. Methodology Workshop for PhD students (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (organiser), Verhoeven, I. (organiser) & Metze, T. A. P. (organiser) (3-7-2014 - 5-7-2014). 9th International Interpretive Policy Analysis Conference, Wageningen. Panel organizers: Panel title: ‘Affect and Uncertainty in the Backyard’ (organising a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (participant), Vermeulen, F. F. (participant) & Maussen, M. J. M. (participant) (21-5-2014). Research Workshop, UvA, Amsterdam. Organizer workshop: Incident driven democratization: reflecting on "un-planned" examples of democratic reform (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (participant) (7-3-2014 - 8-3-2014). GDSML Graduate School Leading Program of Global Leaders for Social Design and Management: Innaugural Symposium and Workshop, Tokyo. Organizer: Relating Research and Practice in Social Design and Management (workshop) (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (organiser) (31-10-2013). De Nieuwe Democratie, Renewing Democracy (organising a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (organiser) (29-10-2013 - 31-10-2013). Borders to Cross, Amsterdam (organising a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Verhoeven, I. (participant), Laws, D. W. (participant), Metze, T. A. P. (participant) & van Hulst, M. (participant) (3-7-2013 - 5-7-2013). 8th IPA conference Societies in Conflict: Experts, Publics and Democracy, Vienna. Organizer, Panel title: The dynamics of escalation in policy conflict (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Verhoeven, I. (participant), Laws, D. W. (participant), Verloo, N. (participant), Metze, T. A. P. (participant), van Hulst, M. (participant) & Wagenaar, H. (participant) (5-7-2012 - 7-7-2012). 7th IPA conference Understanding the Drama of Democracy, Tilburg. Panel ‘Practical Citizenship: Developing identities through policy action’ (participating in a conference, workshop, ...).
    • Laws, D. W. (organiser), Verloo, N. (organiser), Janssens, F. (organiser), Halfman, I. (organiser) & Klaverweide, M. (organiser) (2012). Eindsymposium onderzoeksproject Buurten, Spanningen en Conflicten, Amsterdam. Symposium Rethinking Maakbaarheid (organising a conference, workshop, ...).

    2017

    • Janssens, F. (2017). The politics of public domain: Ethical urbanism around marketplaces in London, Amsterdam & Istanbul. [Thesis, fully internal, Universiteit van Amsterdam]. [details]
    This list of publications is extracted from the UvA-Current Research Information System. Questions? Ask the library or the Pure staff of your faculty / institute. Log in to Pure to edit your publications. Log in to Personal Page Publication Selection tool to manage the visibility of your publications on this list.
  • Ancillary activities
    No ancillary activities