Liat Rogel

Edited on 02/07/2026

Validated expert

Liat Rogel

  • Italy

  • English, Italian, _Other
Contact
Availability :
Available for Lead Expert role and Ad-hoc expertise missions

Validated Expert info

Expert can perform the Lead expert role and Ad hoc expertise missions at network and programme level in relation to:

  1. The design and delivery of (transnational) exchange and learning activities
     
  2. Thematic expertise:
    > Housing
    > Social Innovation
    > Circular Economy
     
  3. Methods and tools for integrated and participatory approaches:
    > Integrated and participatory design of strategies
    > Sustaining engagement of stakeholders and translating strategies into actions

Summary

Liat is a validated URBACT Lead Expert, service designer, and specialist in social innovation and integrated urban development. She helps cities transform complex urban challenges into practical, collaborative, and implementable strategies through facilitation, co-design, and action-oriented methodologies.

Liat's expertise combines strategic thinking with hands-on facilitation. She is particularly recognised for designing and moderating collaborative processes that enable diverse local stakeholders to build shared visions, test solutions, and translate ideas into concrete actions. She develops practical tools that help cities clarify challenges, strengthen Integrated Action Plans, design Testing Actions, build Theories of Change, and create sustainable governance models.

Her thematic expertise focuses on housing, social innovation, social impact, and inclusive urban regeneration, with particular attention to housing exclusion, migration, neighbourhood transformation, and citizen-centred public services. Alongside her URBACT work, Liat is the founder of HousingLab. She holds a PhD in Design from Politecnico di Milano and teaches Social Innovation at IES Abroad Milan.

Areas of Expertise

  • Integrated Urban Development
  • Facilitation and Co-creation Processes
  • Action Planning and Testing Actions
  • Social Impact and Theory of Change
  • Housing and Housing Inclusion
  • Homelessness and Housing First
  • Social Innovation
  • Urban Regeneration
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Participatory Governance

  • Service Design and Design Thinking

     

Over the past years, she has led two URBACT Action Planning Networks: ROOF, supporting cities in developing integrated strategies to end homelessness through Housing First approaches, and U.R Impact, helping cities embed social impact into urban regeneration policies and investments. She has also served as an Ad Hoc Expert in several URBACT networks and was part of the methodology and steering team behind the URBACT Pioneer Accelerator, contributing to the programme design, proposal assessment, and learning methodology.

Related URBACT activities

  • URBACT Pioneers Accelerator

     

    URBACT Pioneers Accelerator is the bespoke learning programme for cities from EU accession countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Participating cities are tackling specific urban challenges with solutions in line with the EU integrated sustainable urban development policy framework, values and best practices.

     

    The URBACT Pioneer Accelerator is a structured and inspiring learning journey that helps cities lead sustainable change. It supports them in understanding EU urban development policies while fostering innovation through integrated and participatory approaches and the implementation of small-scale pilot actions.

     

    Cities are organised within 4 thematic clusters - Urban Nature, Waste Management, Mobility and Sustainable Tourism. All 27 cities follow the same methodological - URBACT Accelerator framework which consists of three learning dimensions:

     

    Ongoing
    See more

  • U.R. Impact

    U.R. Impact focuses on addressing a key policy challenge: to develop effective strategies for empowering local communities during processes of urban regeneration. The goal is to prioritize social impact and community-based practices by reimagining the way urban regeneration actions are conducted. This entails placing citizens and their social and ecological well-being at the core of the strategy, and defining a methodology for collective decision-making and civic participation in local urban regeneration strategies. 

    Stakeholders will be involved to contribute to the definition of what can be considered indicators of positive social impact of urban regeneration projects, modeled on the different territories of the partnership.

    By prioritizing social impact, with a focus on community involvement, urban regeneration actions are rethought by placing citizens and their social, economic and environmental well-being at the center of the processes. It also allows for an increased sense of belonging and civic participation.

    Ongoing
    See more

  • ROOF

    To end homelessness through innovative housing solutions at city level is the main driver from the Action Planning network. It is not about managing homelessness, but rather putting an end to it using the Housing First model and gathering accurate data. ROOF aims to achieve the strategic goal of Functional Zero (no structural homelessness).

    Closed
    See more

Articles

  • Five Things I Learned from the U.R. Impact Cities about Social Impact

    Liat Rogel

    See more
  • Liat Rogel - Housing challenges

    Housing Challenges in Shrinking Cities

    For the first time in European history, a dedicated Housing Commissioner has been appointed to the European Commission, reflecting a growing

    Liat Rogel

    See more
  • Article
    U.R. Impact - Bovec

    From Plans to Impact: How Collaboration Drives Urban Transformation in U.R. IMPACT

    Liat Rogel

    See more
See all articles