Intro Speakers 2021

16 Nov

Fred Kent

Fred Kent, founder and former president of Project for Public Spaces, speaks widely on Public Spaces, speaks widely on public spaces and placemaking, and is working on two initiatives: The Social Life Project and PlacemakingX. Kent is a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city. As founder of Project for Public Spaces, he is known throughout the world as a dynamic speaker and prolific ideas man. Travelling over 150,000 miles each year, Fred provides technical assistance to communities and delivers keynote speeches throughout North America and internationally.

Elisa Meza

Analista de Programas y Proyectos en la oficina de ONU-Habitat para México y Cuba. Es encargada de la gestión y seguimiento a proyectos de cooperación con gobiernos locales y otros actores estratégicos para la planeación sostenible de ciudades y asentamientos humanos de todos los tamaños. Particularmente se especializa en los temas de planeación urbana con visión de largo plazo, espacio público, participación comunitaria, perspectiva de género e inclusión de grupos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad.

Ophelie Droualt

Ophelie works in the organization’s climate change unit of the regional oofice for Latin America and the Caribbean at the UN Environment as an ecosystem-based adaptation analyst.  Through projects of urban sustainability and microfinance for adaptation , she studies the use  of nature-based solutions to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations.

Ana Rivas

Ana Rivas studied architecture in Mexico and received a master’s degree in graphic design while focusing on reactivating and recovering temporarily underused public spaces with graphic interventions and temporary materials. Later on, she completed a diploma in “Mobility in sustainable cities”

Dr. Christoph Lueder

Associate Professor Architecture and Urbanism, Kingston School of Art.

Christoph researches on historical and contemporary praxis in architecture and urban design through two complementary foci: firstly, the pervasive role of diagrammatic representation as analytical, generative, narrative, and critical device; secondly, participatory, and collaborative practices.

Mariela Alfonzo

Dr. Mariela Alfonzo is an internationally-renowned thought-leader and speaker, with 20+ years of experience on the nexus between urban design, behavior, and the quadruple-bottom line. She is the Founder and CEO of State of Place, an AI-driven, urban design data and predictive analytics software that helps citymakers create more just, thriving communities more effectively, cost-efficiently, and inclusively.

José Gómez

José Gómez, Co-Founder & Executive Director of NGO Espacio Lúdico. In his career he has developed in the field of “Urban Citizen Innovation” with a broad specialty related to Urban Design, Interventions, Planning and Applied Research in matters of Networked Urbanism, Hybrid Public Spaces and Playmaking. 

Luciana Renner

Director of the Placemaking Mexico Foundation, producer and broadcaster of the podcast “Narrativas Urbanas”, teacher at the Universidad Centro in Mexico City and enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge in conferences and lectures with architecture students in different universities.

Guillermo Bernal

Executive Director of the Placemaking Mexico Foundation, Senior Fellow of Project for Public Spaces, Director of the global network PlacemakingX and is a researcher at the Urban Policy Laboratory of Mexico.Guillermo is committed to participatory urbanism, and from that perspective he has completed more than 100 projects.

Lucía Nogales

Lucía Nogales (Madrid 1988) holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.she has specialized in the development of processes of analysis, production, occupation and evaluation of public space, as well as teaching. She is currently the general coordinator of Ocupa Tu Calle and a lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica.

Mirlena Rojas

Sociologist by training, general coordinator of projects at the Félix Varela Center and researcher at the Center for Psychological and Sociological Research. She works on issues of social equity, citizen participation and employment.

Renán Rodríguez

Architect and urban designer. 1st Prize for Historical Sugar Heritage Cuba 2011, with the project “Railway Landscape: Culture and development in the Havana territory” and ERASMUS MUNDUS PhD Scholarship Universidade do Minho, Portugal, 2010-2011. Coordinator of the AI & P_arte cultural, project industry and landscape.

Boopsie Maran

Boopsie is the founder and director of Places for Good, a collaborative of community advocates, planners, landscape architects, and artists, applying resilience and grit to projects across New Zealand. Her approach to community activation and tactical urbanism places a significant priority on action-oriented partnerships with schools, urban precincts, and citizen-experts. 

17 nov

Jan Gehl

Architect, professor and consultant on urban design, has focused his career on improving the quality of urban life, by reorienting the design of the city towards the people in the cities: public life, pedestrians, and cyclists.

His books include the by now “classics” “Life between Buildings” and “Cities for People”. Published in more than 40 languages.

Jan Gehl has been awarded honorary Doctor Degrees in Edinburgh, Toronto, Varna and Halifax and is honorary fellow of the Architectural Institutes in Denmark, UK (RIBA), USA, Canada, Scotland, Ireland as well as the Planning Institutes in Australia and Ireland.

Chris Bruntlett

Chris Bruntlett is Marketing and Communication Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy. As a long-time campaigner in Vancouver, he fell in love with Dutch bike culture in 2016, inspiring him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”

Mariana Alegre Escorza

Since 2010, Mariana is the Executive Director of Lima Como vamos, citizen observatory whose mission is to evaluate quality of life of limeños and chalacos. On December 2014 and with the support of AVINA Foundation, she founded Ocupa tu Calle a strategy that seeks to develop more and better public spaces through participatory processes and promoting Citizens Urbanism.

Ana Castán

Entrepreneur and Cycling Advocate. Moved to Amsterdam six years ago and since then, she has been running her own bicycle tours company in the city. Currently, she is doing her best to make the mobility change happen all over the Spanish speaking world. She collaborates with Unraveling the Cycling City as a mentor for their online courses, write in media and her own blog and organize “Cities R-Evolution” Zoom sessions, a space to share best practices in sustainable mobility.

Guillermo (Gil) Penalosa

Gil Penalosa is passionate about creating vibrant and healthy cities for all people. Because of his unique blend of experience, pragmatism and passion, he has been invited to work in over 350 different cities on all continents.

Gil is the founder and chair of the internationally recognized Canadian non-profit organization 8 80 Cities. He is also first Ambassador of World Urban Parks and creator of the project Our Third Act.

Before immigrating to Canada, Gil was Commissioner in Bogota where he led the construction of over 200 parks and development of new Ciclovia, where each Sunday 1 of 4 citizens participate. He holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, where he was selected as one of the “100 Most Inspirational Alumni” in the school’s history. Gil received a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Faculty of Urban Planning at the prominent University in Sweden, SLU. Last year Gil was in Planetizen’s Top 50 Most Influential Urbanists and recently received in Australia the World Urban Parks Annual Distinguished Individual Award.

Adriana Akers

Urban Planner with ten years of experience helping cities become better places to live. Driven by a fascination for global perspectives, she has lived in New York, Boston, Beijing, and Mexico City and has worked on urban projects all over ten countries. Her work at Gehl focuses on creating places that are equitable, exciting, comfortable, and great for walking, biking, and spending time in public spaces.

Alberto Marín

Civil Engineer specializing in transportation and territory. Alberto has 18 years of professional experience where he has been director of mobility for IDOM in Mexico and Central America and he is the director of Red Planners. He has been director and specialist in the planning of public transport corridors in Guatemala, Costa Rica y Mexico.

Jimena Rivero

Urban cyclist. She has been an Advisor for the Promotion of Sustainable Mobility and Road Safety in the Secretariat of Mobility of Villavicencio. She is a member of the organizing team of the 4th World Bicycle Forum and the National Bicycle Forum Villavicencio 2017. She is also part of the  Latin American Placemaking Network.

Yasser González

Bicycle Entrepreneur and founder of Havana Critical Mass, Yasser started his own bicycle-tour business Citykleta in 2017. He is currently working to transform Citykleta into a non-profit project with a strong social mission, bringing together bicycle tours and events with urban cycling education and repair workshops, accessible to all.

NayvisDíaz

Industrial engineer with 22 years of experience and lover of cycling since always. Director/Founder of the company Vélo Cuba S.R.L.U, a project for the rescue of cycling in the city. She manages since 2018 the first public bicycle project in Cuba, Ha’bici.

18 Nov

Pablo Navarrete

Assistant Professor at Universidad de Chile, Research Associate at Politecnico di Milano and Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) Latin America and Caribbean Centre. 

Pablo holds a PhD in Regional and Urban Planning from LSE. Pablo’s research focuses on urban policy rationality and impact.  

In 2013, Pablo was appointed as the urban and regional policy advisor of Chilean president Michelle Bachelet’s presidential campaign, leading on the housing, urban planning, and regional development sections of her manifesto.

Roberto Perez Rivero

Environmentalist, sustainability activist and popular educator. He has been part of the Cuban Permaculture Movement,  Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental work in general since 1993. For 25 years he has been part of the Antonio Nuñez Jimenez Foundation of Nature and Man, where since 2001 he coordinates its Environment Education Program and Conservation of Biodiversity. His current passion is how to apply Permaculture to design green areas outside schools and the use these spaces for Environmental and Food Education.

La Mina

It is a plastic collection and shredding venture with an established policy of corporate social responsibility. It also functions as a line for economic self-sustainability, which aims to support some socio-cultural projects that are part of the platform organized by the Rebirth / Tercer Paraiso Cuba Embassy . Promoting by the Artist Micheangelo Pistoletto, who promotes art and creativity  with the object of work makes a sustainable development the Mine is led and promoted by a team of women.

Adriana Ricardo

Master in Sociology. She is the director of the community project Arte-Corte and founder of the Community Actions Network that supports the development of social programs in the communities of the city of Havana. Bicycle enthusiast.

Christina Lopez

Fifth year student at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Havana (CUJAE). Culmination Exercise of studies on recycling in the Community of Los Pocitos. Collaborator with the Akokán Community Project. 

David Chico

Fourth year student at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Havana (CUJAE). Collaborator with the Akokán Community Project based in Los Pocitos.

Ambreen Waheed

Chevening Alumni, Globally Recognized for innovative pioneering work on Responsible Business Policies and Practices, Sustainability Risk Management, Ethical Environment, Equity analysis and Responsible Investments.  Founded and Co-founded: Global & Regional Organizations/Initiatives (GRLI, SAFORB, SAARB, RBI etc.) Designed frameworks for: Ethics, Equity, Environment, Human Rights, Gender Sensitivity, Anti-Corruption, Innovative Financing, Business and Peace, Business and SDGs, among others. Extensive experience: integrating Responsibility into Corporate and its Supply Chains.

Dr Steffen Lehmann

Lehmann has been appointed as a full Chair Professor of Sustainable Architecture in 2002 .Previously, he was Founding Director of 4 interdisciplinary research centres. In 2008, he was appointed by UNESCO as the inaugural chair holder of the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Urban Development in the Asia-Pacific. He received the Award for Teaching Excellence and the Top 100 Global Leader. Over the last 20 years, Steffen has competitively won and managed over $15 million in external research grant funding and has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator in several international research projects.

Maurice Haedo

Designer, maker, repairman and common builder. Graduated in  Indusrial Design from the Higher Institute of Design of Havana. For the past eight years he has worked as a design specialist at MONCAR. He won the design award and the quality award at the 2018 Cubaindustria fair. Since 2017, he has converted his house in Centro Habana into Copincha, a Hackerspace for the developmet of communities. He is a coordinator in several transdisciplinary experimentation groups. One of these groups is Precious Plastic La Habana, formed to create plastic recycling and reuse solutions as part of the global Precious Plastic movement.

NayvisDíaz

Industrial engineer with 22 years of experience and lover of cycling since always. Director/Founder of the company Vélo Cuba S.R.L.U, a project for the rescue of cycling in the city. She manages since 2018 the first public bicycle project in Cuba, Ha’bici.

19 Nov

Andre Viljoen

Andre Viljoen is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Brighton. Since the 1990ies he has been researching the role that urban agriculture can play in shaping cities to be more sustainable and resilient. Significant publications include Bohn & Viljoen’s book CPULs Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: designing urban agriculture for sustainable cities (2005) and its sequel, Second Nature Urban Agriculture: designing productive cities (2014). He has been chair of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) Food Planning Group and in 2015 Bohn & Viljoen’s CPUL work won the RIBA President’s Award for Outstanding University Located Research. See also: https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/pulr/

Madelaine vazquez galvez

Engineer in Technology and Organization of Social Food, Donetsk Institute of Commerce and Master in Technical Sciences, Ukraine, 1983. Master in Higher Education Sciences, University of Havana, 2010. Slow Food International Councilor (2012-2021). Vice President of Solarcuba . Director of the magazine Energia y Tu . She has written several books on food and cooking, and more then 100 articles in national and international publications.

Roberto Perez Rivero

Environmentalist, sustainability activist and popular educator. He has been part of the Cuban Permaculture Movement,  Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental work in general since 1993. For 25 years he has been part of the Antonio Nuñez Jimenez Foundation of Nature and Man, where since 2001 he coordinates its Environment Education Program and Conservation of Biodiversity. His current passion is how to apply Permaculture to design green areas outside schools and the use these spaces for Environmental and Food Education.

Amanda Jimenez Cruz

Graduated in 2020 in agronomic engineering at UNAH with scientific merit, a current MINAG worker in the direction of seeds and plant genetic resources. She has completed postgraduate degrees in research and growth and development methodology in plants, both in Faculty of Biology with the rating of excellent.

Larisa Castillo Rodríguez

Architect. Graduated in 2004. Assistant Professor at the Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture, CUJAE. She teaches Graphic Expression and Landscape Architecture. Since 2020, she has been Director of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at the National Botanical Garden.

Michael Sanchez Torres

Degree in management and preservation of cultural historical heritage. General Coordinator and founder of the community project Akokàn in los Pocitos. Entrepreneur and dad of two beautiful girls.

Oliesky Fabre del Castillo

Architect and Landscaper Co-founder of ENPARALELO Produciones Agro-Urbanas. Coordinator of the Cultural Projet, Art, Industry and Landscape. Vice-National Coordinator of the Cuban Environmental Youth Network. Specialist in engineering center works and high technology  projects for the Biopharmaceutical industry. Professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Havana. He attended the LABA STUDIO with the Swiss architect Harry Gugger, satellite laboratory in Basel, conducting research in the field of Knowledge Cities.

Ethan Kent

Ethan Kent works to support public space organizations, projects, and leadership around the world to build a global placemaking movement. Ethan has travelled to more than 1000 cities and 60 countries to advance the cause of leading urban development with inclusive public spaces and placemaking. In 2019 he co-founded PlacemakingX to network, amplify, and accelerate placemaking leadership and impacts globally. He builds on more than 20 years of working on placemaking projects and campaigns with Project for Public Spaces.