Merlin Gillard
  • 11, Porte des Sciences, Maison des Sciences Humaines

    L-4366 Esch-sur-Alzette/Belval

    Luxembourg

20212023

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research summary

Merlin Gillard is a PhD researcher at LISER and at VUB (Cosmopolis) since 2021. He works on the LiFT project "From Low Fares to No Fares: An Analysis of Economic, Operational, Socio-Spatial and Political Dynamics of Fare-Free Public Transport". The aim of the project is to analyse the policy of abolishing fares in public transport (PT) systems, otherwise known as Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT), including in terms of impacts on travel behaviour and accessibility of PT. In the framework of this project, Merlin will study the governance of FFPT, as well as whether FFPT make PT a more public service and space. Notably, he is particularly interested in how FFPT impacts security practices, policing and surveillance on PT.

After a bachelor in Geography at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Merlin completed his master’s degree in Urban Studies at ULB & Vrije Universiteit Brussels in 2019. His master thesis focused on the impacts of antiterrorist measures on the policing of events in public space in Brussels. Before joining LISER, Merlin worked for a non-profit organisation focusing on the urban design of public spaces in Brussels in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities.

Education/Academic qualification

Social and economic geography, Master, Urban Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles

20172019

Social and economic geography, Bachelor, Geographic sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles

20142017

External positions

PhD Candidate, Cosmopolis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel