Climate change and its impacts are a common denominator of many challenges cities are facing today. There are no simple solutions to these issues, while city budgets and staff capacities are limited. In other words, cities often need to do more with less.

Seeing this as an opportunity rather than a problem, I am here to help cities to take a hard look and identify the key issues, objectives and directions towards sustainability. Leveraging the local knowledge and expertise is the point of departure, as each city is unique and there is no copy-paste model that will bring solutions overnight.

I have spent the last decade focusing on how cities around the world "do climate resilience"; from urban communes in Chile to the City of San Francisco, Barcelona or Prague. I have focused above all on the areas of climate change adaptation and sustainable mobility. I am happy to share this knowledge and simultaneously gain more of it as I work with the member cities. 

What I offer:

8 years of experience in engagement with city officials

• Analysing current practices with professionals dedicated to climate adaptation, circular economy, urban mobility, crisis management, public health and innovation in cities across Europe, North America and Latin America.
• Leading a pilot study of city resilience for the Institute of Planning and Development of the City of Prague.
• Research and public outreach program focused on sustainable mobility in cities (SUMP, multi-modality, integration, public space, shared mobility, electric vehicles, etc.).

 

8 years of experience in project management

• Including communication and project deliverables. This includes programs on the levels of universities, research institutes, philanthropic organizations, NGOs and think-tanks.
• Examples:
• Securing Cities: Vulnerability, Resilience and Politics. Funded by the Grant Agency of Charles University, 2015-2019.
• Decarbonization of transport: pathways towards sustainable urban mobility. EUROPEUM Institute, 2021-2023.

 

3 years of experience in direct consultations for public sector

• Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Innovation Centre, Institute of Planning and Development - City level.

 

10 years of experience in field and desk research and publications. Selected examples:

• SUMP it up: Prague moving towards sustainable urban mobility. EUROPEUM policy paper, March 2023.
• Cities for all: Gender equality perspective. URBACT series article, December 2022 (in CZ). 
• Resilience and Urban Governance: Securing Cities. New York: Routledge, 2021.
• Horizon 2021-2027: Driving force of innovation in Europe. EUROPEUM policy paper series, May 2021.
• Making a ‘Resilient Santiago’: Private Sector and Urban Governance in Chile. Czech Sociological Review, 54:6, 2018.  

 

10 years of experience teaching university courses for students and professionals

• City-focused module for Master level students and professionals at Charles University discussing vulnerability and resilience of cities. Emphasis on the existing practices applied in cities across the world (from urban gentrification to climate change and natural disasters affecting cities).

 

5 years of experience delivering guest lectures, facilitating workshops and roundtables

Please reach out if you have any questions. I am looking forward to working with you!

• Link to linkedin

Over the past four years, I was involved in two URBACT III networks related to the OnStage project. I began  as an ULG coordinator for the city of Brno, where a part of my job was to coordinate music programmes for social change which were implemented within the project. Brno's OnStage project was a success and has resulted in the city becoming the leading partner of the CZ&SK national initiative OnStage. As I was knowledgeable in GP, I had the role of expert on the inovative methods of music education and provided help to the partner cities. Experiencing how the networks work from the inside made me truly appreciate its learning potential and practical deliverability of its projects. It simply works. A strong methodological and thematic support combined with carefully planned timeline of the project made it feel like a pleasant walk with teachers and friends, at the end of which there was at once a newly aquired know-how, its result and a group of enthousiastic people who stand behind the project.

• Link to linkedin

I have a deep passion for learning and sharing knowledge on a local, national and international level. My experience from the international environment has taught me to approach sustainable urban development with respect to local specifics and needs. I believe that the most important key to success is trust, engagement and being open-minded. I enjoy organizing interactive workshops and discussions during transnational meetings and developing new ideas.

I have been working for URBACT since 2018. As the project leader of the Transfer Network Welcoming International Talent (2018 – 2021) my main  focus was on attraction and inclusion of international talents. The objective was to create a strategy that would attract internationals to middle sized cities and ensure that they become valued members of local society. I also worked as Lead Expert of NPTI OnStage (2021 – 2022). The main vision of the project was inclusion of socially disadvantaged children and their parents from the majority, the Roma community and international community through group lessons in performing arts. We created 31 music and dance programmes conducted both in schools and non-profit organizations involving more than 300 kids.

I am confident my motivation and knowledge will contribute to enhancing your network by utilizing my experience from many different fields such as development of international cooperation projects and urban development projects (eg. participatory budgeting), internationalization, inclusion, event management, cultural and creative industries, city branding and higher education. Since 2010, I have been working for various employers from public, private, non-profit and educational sectors in nine European countries and Canada which enabled me to have a deep understanding of various needs of different stakeholders.

I see the position of URBACT expert as an excellent opportunity to help cities to share their challenges and learn from each other. They can learn not only from successful solutions but also from failures which allows cities to wisely choose the right urban development methods and tailor it to the needs of their city.

• Link to linkedin

To be completed by the Expert.

I am a researcher in the field of local and regional development, knowledge economy and innovation with many years of experience in transferring knowledge into practice. I work closely with companies, cities, regions and national institutions.

I can add value to your network by mediating the latest findings on the support of the local and knowledge-based economy.

I have broad knowledge about innovation and knowledge challenges in different types of cities and regions. I can also offer experience in evaluating various support activities, projects and local efforts to improve the situation.

I can bring design and creative thinking of supporting interventions in the development of the local ecosystem.

• Link to twitter
• Go to expert link