Freelance policy expert and researcher specialised in heritage, culture and the creative industries sector. 
She has worked extensively from local and regional to European level in the conception, implementation, reporting and evaluation of diverse policies, programmes and organisations. Cristina has also been lecturing, training and participating as speaker and moderator in various universities, public discussions, academic conferences and workshops across Europe, USA, Africa and Middle East.
She is interested in the strengthening of the role of culture and creativity in governance and development; the promotion of international cooperation and mobility; and the building of capacity, advocacy and entrepreneurship among professionals.

For 27 years, Cristina's work has been focusing on how cities and regions may make strategic use of culture, in varied ways:

-Strategic Planning: mapping, diagnosis and development of cultural and cross-sectorial strategies; 

-Urban Regeneration and Development: creative hubs, creative industries, cultural heritage; cultural routes/tourism;

-Governance: consultation and participatory processes; 

-Evaluation and monitoring: impact assessment, criteria and indicators;

-Localisation of SDGs (sustainable development goals/Agenda 2030)

-Events and Festivals: cultural management and leadership; programming; outreach and audience development

-European cooperation and internationalisation: partnerships; networking; mobility; cultural relations

Experience with European programmes, initiatives and projects: European Capitals of Culture; European Urban Initiative; Horizon Europe; Erasmus+, Creative Europe, Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe; Cultural Heritage in Action; Archipel.eu (outermost regions and overseas countries and territories); EU4Culture (Eastern Partnership)

As for URBACT, I was Member of External Assessment Panel for the URBACT IV Cooperation Programme Action Planning Networks Call in 2023.

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More than 20 years of experience in employment and local development strategies, research on the labour market and foresight of Vocational Education and Training (VET) needs.

I have provided support to local and regional authorities in the design and conduction of territorial cooperation processes and strategies for local development, employment, labour inclusion, social policies, youth policies, economic revitalization, VET needs analysis, urban planning or support to entrepreneurship among other topics. I have designed and applied participatory processes, engaging citizens and local agents.

Over the years I have participated as partner or coordinator in many European projects and initiatives (EQUAL I and II, Youth in Action, Equal Opportunities, Leonardo, Erasmus +, EaSI, URBACT) and I have managed projects co-financed by ERDF, ESF, EAFRD and EGF.

I have worked for two URBACT networks: UrbInclusion (Municipality of Barcelona) and Kairós (Municipality of Mula), providing support for management and knowledge transfer to their Urbact Local Groups (ULG).

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I have been a validated Lead Expert during URBACT III and I have been involved as Expert in very interesting projects all around Europe. During these years my committment as Expert in Urban Sustainable development for Municipalities has grown a lot and I have been working as project manager for the Swedish and Italian Governements and for several cities in Italy, Turin, Rome, Bologna, Forlì  and Verona in tight collaboration with Deputies and Mayors.

To became an Urbact Validated Expert for me means, influencing and inspiring the work of municipalities on issues of strong change that often need a less conservative push with a creative vision of real change and less politicisation on pressing European issues. As Urbact Expert I can bring my wide expertise in assisting Municipalities in this innovative big change. I have a double role as project manager but also as project evaluator expert because since 2021 I am and Evaluator Expert for the European Commission. Moreover my communication skills thanks to my collaborations at TV, radio and magazines and my work as adjunct professor for the University Tor Vergata In Rome in the Winter/Summer School for  Urban Sustanable Development and for Venice International University in the Master of EU Project Design & Management can be useful for an integrate work with cities.

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Ph.D. in Social and Psychological Sciences, Simone's efforts in recent years have focused on connecting local economic, social and administrative stakeholders in transnational networks, with the goal of creating sustainable tourism ecosystems.

Training and exchange meetings, including those organized online with the use of creative approaches and collaborative tools, can greatly facilitate the transfer of knowledge among all actors in local economies and the sharing of best practices. Participation in the Genoa ULG's activities for the URBACT III "Tourism-Friendly Cities" project, for example, enabled Simone to identify sustainability criteria later adopted for the area by the international short-rental platform Fairbnb.coop: dozens of tourism service SMEs gained direct access to the market in innovative ways that generate a positive impact for the whole territory.

Simone's expertise in the fields of digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, and sustainable tourism has been recognized by various chambers of commerce and local governments, within the framework of several European projects:
- Smart Tourism (Interreg - Marittimo-IT FR-Maritime)
- European Tourism Going Green - ETGG 2030
- I- STARS (Insuleur)

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Sustainable City Expert, with a focus on mobility and transport. Creator of a EU-wide project about railway stations and sustainable cities, the "Sustainable City Promoter".

Wide experience in urban planning and mobility, first working in french railways (SNCF) and then at the EIT Urban Mobility, always helping cities in implementing sustainable transport projects, tests and pilots of innovative solutions, and addressing the policy and governance gaps. 

Strong business development skills combined with an entrepreneurial attitude and strategic thinking for developing and managing innovation, and create impact. Self-starter, able to link stakeholders to create added value and new projects. Successful in leading new ideas and activities between R&D and business.

C-Level access, able to develop and maintain relationships with clients, and deeply understanding clients’ needs. Excellent operational leadership facilitating fact-based decision-making and guiding communication. 

PhD candidate on the topic of urbanism and railway stations for more sustainable cities at TUM Munich, already published a paper focussed on mobility issues: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091723000031

 

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I am an expert in culture and community engagement, specializing in transnational projects focused on community-led initiatives and co-creation. With a rich background in cultural management, creative community engagement, audience development, and event production, I possess extensive experience in administration and planning. My true passion lies in leveraging public spaces within cities to foster neighborhood transformation and community revitalization through inclusive projects driven by the community.

I firmly believe in the power of the arts and cultural institutions to promote cultural diversity and facilitate intercultural dialogue. Consequently, my mission revolves around advancing creative place-making, community building, and the development of public spaces that promote overall health, happiness, and well-being. By investing in the assets, inspiration, and potential of the local creative community, I strive to inspire collective reimagining and reinvention of public spaces, positioning them as the heart of every community.

Throughout my career, I have successfully produced both physical and digital spaces for artists and creatives to showcase their work. Additionally, I have established international cultural networks that foster collaboration, facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and provide support for the cultural sector. I am dedicated to engaging with people, places, buildings, temporality, and change to create resilient spaces that encourage participation, embrace diversity, and foster experimentation.

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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!

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Passionate about sustainable urban development and innovation applied to places, I am an independent consultant with over 15 years of experience working with cities, research & innovation organisations, universities and businesses, providing strategic advice and expert support in designing, developing and delivering collaborative projects and strategies, helping them develop successful funding applications  across Europe and in the UK. 

I have been involved in the URBACT programme in various capacities including for capacity-building as an expert at the URBACT e-University 2022 delivering a webinar on fundraising strategies for cities, as  a trainer at the 2019 URBACT Transfer Network Campus for local authorities, and a facilitator of a transnational workshop on participatory action planning at the 2013 URBACT Summer University; working with Networks as ad hoc expert supporting the Resourceful Cities Network Integrated Action Plan peer review and as a project partner and ULG coordinator for URBACT Markets.  I also led programme-level studies for URBACT and Urban Innovative Actions. I have extensive experience working as an assessor for European programmes. In my work, I use design thinking and participatory policy and action planning methods and tools, always advocating for a collaborative exchange and learning approach.

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I have a beating heart for sustainable tourism and collaboration. I believe that with my working with values of emphaty, mutual respect, trust and encourgement I can support your city in reaching your desired destination. I am dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive local and regional tourism development while advancing the United Nations` Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In my current role, beside the CEO responsibilities in my own firm, I am responsible for knowledge exchange working closely with local stakeholders to design strategies that promote the development of sustainable tourism and various tourism products such as: cultural and urban tourism, sun and beach tourism and health and wellness tourism. I can help you design higher quality in your destination and make your destination smart.
I am Montenegrin, but European at heart, and I truly admire EU values and positive impact it makes in my country. I am proud to be an URBACT Expert.
I was born to be a pioneer: I was first Montenegrin student studyng on a master's in Planning and Management in Tourist Destination at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, in Spain, gaining great knowledge and experience I became a pioneer in strategic planning and management in tourism in Montenegro, including UNESCO sites. I started the first consulting firm dedicated to sustainable tourism development in Montenegro. A pioneer in creating workshops about sustainable tourism and cultural tourism. A pioneer as an expert from Montenegro in URBACT IV Pool of Experts ...

Success isn`t created alone. Together we can make history.

Feel free to drop me a line at marija@marixperience.com ! Cheers!

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