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; Urban design]
3. Methods and tools for integrated and participatory approaches:
> Integrated and participatory design of strategies
> Sustaining stakeholder engagement and translating strategies into actions
Summary
Martha Giannakopoulou is an expert in urban design, housing, and innovation, with over 15 years of professional experience as an architect and urban designer. She currently serves as the Housing Expert for the European Urban Initiative (EUI) in the city of Budapest, contributing to the AHA – Affordable Housing for All project. Her work focuses on developing affordable and flexible housing solutions for vulnerable communities.
Martha previously served as a UIA (Urban Innovative Actions) Expert for the city of Ghent, supporting the enhancement of housing initiatives in Belgium. In addition, she has collaborated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a housing consultant within the Shelter and Settlements Global Support Team, working on longer-term housing solutions for individuals affected by the war in Ukraine.
Her expertise extends to collaborations with numerous NGOs, INGOs, European municipalities, and the Greek public sector, where she has played a key role in shaping housing policies, designing integrated planning strategies, and leading participatory co-design and co-creation processes. She has also mentored community development and engagement programs, with a focus on trust-building and the promotion of employment opportunities.
Martha has worked extensively with UN agencies, including UNEP and UNDP, promoting the right to a healthy environment and contributing to the dissemination of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an international consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, she authored the Urban Street Design Guidelines for the city of Chișinău, integrating principles of sustainability, disability inclusion, and universal design. She also supported the development of Chișinău's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and integrated urban design guidelines covering street design, public space, and mobility systems.
A Fulbright scholar, Martha worked with the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Development in New York and has been invited as a visiting critic and lecturer at esteemed academic institutions, including the Architectural Association (London), London Metropolitan University, University of East London, Columbia University, Parsons School of Design, and The Cooper Union.