Frank is founding member and director of the Territorial Capital Institute, a knowledge-based platform to exchange theory and praxis of integrated territorial development and placemaking, drawing upon his experiences on localising the New Urban Agenda and the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning.

Frank has worked 15 years in the European Union, mainly on cross-border and transnational planning issues, followed by another 15 years outside the EU, including Kosovo, Palestine, Nepal, Afghanistan, Arab Emirates, Kenya, Myanmar, China, Japan, the Caribbean, Timor-Leste, The Gambia and Somalia. Frank specializes in national urban policy, metropolitan planning, post-conflict/disaster planning and participatory visioning and placemaking. With UN-Habitat, Frank published a book on ‘Visioning as Participatory Planning Method’ and drafted the handbook for the implementation of the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning (IGUTP).

Frank contributed to several ISOCARP World Congresses, co-organised and reported UPATS in Gaza, Palestine and Whan, China, and also contributed to several ISOCARP Review publications.