Jan Willem Petersen is a distinguished spatial planner, architect, and researcher based in the Netherlands. He is a graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture London (Hons 2005) and the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. In 2006, Petersen established Specialist Operations, an independent office dedicated to undertaking pioneering projects aimed at rebuilding resilient post-conflict area. Notable projects include the planning framework for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Mosul, Iraq, and the evaluation of the reconstruction outcomes of the Dutch mission Task Force Uruzgan in Afghanistan. Currently pursuing a doctorate at Delft Technical University, his research focuses on design fundamentals for military project development in conflict-affected environments, conducted in close collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Army and the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Additionally, Petersen is university lecturer at faculty of Military Sciences at the Netherlands Defense Academy since 2019.