We, at the Géographie-cités research department, are deeply saddened of the recent passing of our colleague and friend Éric Denis on August 21.
He has been a generous and enthusiastic advocate of collective research, and was also, until very recently, the Director of the Géographie-cités laboratory (2019–2024).
A geographer, PhD and Research Director at CNRS, Éric Denis has been a highly regarded scholar, as a leading specialist of urbanization dynamics in India, as well as in Egypt and Sudan. Over the years, he has coordinated and contributed to numerous research programs and publications.
His work focused on the analysis of population dynamics, socio-spatial change, and the inequalities they generate, both in larger metropolitan areas and smaller towns. His research particularly focused on subaltern and in situ urbanization dynamics in the Global South, analyzing land conversion to urban uses, the commodification of land, and the capture of community lands for housing development.
The news of his sudden passing has deeply affected his doctoral students, his colleagues at UMR Géographie-cités, and beyond.
The Géographie-cités laboratory extends its sincere condolences to Éric Denis’s family and loved ones and assures them of our support during this difficult time.
A tribute will be held in his honor in the near future.
