Anna Rubbo (LFRAIA, B.Arch. U-Melbourne, D.Arch. U-Michigan) is a Researcher at the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD), The Climate School, Columbia University. The SDGs Local Learning Studio builds on her teaching at the University of Sydney, and leadership of the Global Studio(2005–2012). A member of a UN Millennium Project Task Force to Improve the Lives of 100 Million Slum Dwellers (2002-04), for her PhD conducted extensive research in Colombia, South America. At CSUD since 2012, projects include the People Building Better Citiesexhibition (2013–15), Accelerating the SDGs and the Local Project Challenge ,launched by Ban Ki-moon in 2019. She is a judge for the UIA–UN Habitat 2030 Award,  and served as UIA23 Scientific Committee member and co-chair of the Design for Resilient Communities panel. Co-editor of Design for Resilient Communities(2023), another relevant publication is ‘They don’t listen’: The Urban Professions, Education and the Urban Poor’ (2019).A board member of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and Asia Initiatives, she is the recipient of the 2011 Australian Education Prize , the Marion Mahony Griffin award (2006), and UIA Vassilis Sgoutas mention (2014) for service to humanitarian architecture in education. She is co-founder of the journal Architectural Theory Review.

Natalie Mossin, architect MAA, is Head of the Institute of Architecture and Technology at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Since 2016, she has led efforts to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into architectural education, with hundreds of thesis projects addressing architecture’s role in achieving the SDGs. Mossin co-founded and co-chaired the UIA Commission on the Sustainable Development Goals (2017–2021), which led to the UIA-UN Habitat 2030 Award. She initiated and co-authored the Dhaka Declaration and served as Chief Editor of An Architecture Guide to the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals, published in multiple languages. Mossin was President of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023, themed Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind which attracted over 6000 participants, 37 % of whom were under 35.  A graduate of the Royal Danish Academy, she has also served as Chairperson of the Danish Association of Architects and as a UIA Vice President. Her leadership in education, policy, and international collaboration continues to shape global architectural practice in response to climate and social challenges.

Jacqueline Klopp (BA Harvard, PhD Political Science, McGill) is Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development in the Climate School at Columbia University. She teaches in the Sustainable Development program and serves on the Environmental and Climate Justice at Columbia Project steering committee. An action-oriented scholar, she focuses on sustainability, climate, urban planning, and policy, with an emphasis on African cities. She co-founded the award-winning Digital Matatus project and DigitalTransport4Africa, which promote open transit data in African and Latin American cities. Klopp also co-leads the Resilient Coastal Communities project, developing equitable solutions to flood risks that support habitat restoration, job creation, and community empowerment. In 2021, she was named one of the Remarkable Women in Transport by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. She is Principal Investigator of PRISM, a global research consortium on informal and shared mobility supported by the Volvo Research and Education Foundations. Klopp has also developed and taught online courses on sustainable urban transport and resilient cities.

Pernille Maria Bärnheim holds an MA in Urban Sociology (Goldsmiths) and Curatorial Studies (Central Saint Martins). She was Research Curator and Coordinator of the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023 Science Track (2021–2024), and currently serves in the same role for the upcoming FABRICATE 2024 conference. She co-curated the Copenhagen Architecture Festival (2018–2021) and co-led a youth-focused urbanism project in marginalized housing estates (2020–2023). Her earlier research examined low-income housing strategies in Mexico and Argentina, exploring public-private and self-organised approaches. Bärnheim has curated photography exhibitions, published articles, and co-edited The Welfare City in Transition, an anthology of texts and images (1923–2020). Before entering critical urban studies, she worked in film editing in the Scandinavian industry (1994–2008). Her work bridges research, curation, and social engagement in architecture and urbanism.

HY William Chan leads knowledge, innovation and partnerships, is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and the youngest politician elected to Sydney City Hall in its 180-year history. He served three terms as Committee Chair and Deputy to the Lord Mayor, leading portfolios in environment, planning, transport, heritage, culture, and inclusion. William co-founded Climate Action Week Sydney and has headed delegations to the UN. He served on boards including the Global Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI, and Climate Emergency Australia. His advisory work spans global organizations such as SXSW, IKEA, Dyson, HP, Microsoft, Holcim, Arup, and UNICEF. William holds fellowships with the World Economic Forum, Columbia Climate School, and Bloomberg-Harvard CityLab. A TED-featured speaker, he was the first architect globally to be named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. His work bridges civic leadership, sustainability, design innovation, and youth empowerment on a global stage.

Sherif Goubran is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Design and Graduate Program Director for Architecture at The American University in Cairo (AUC). He holds a PhD funded by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2021), which focused on aligning green buildings with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a MASc in building engineering and a BSc in Architecture from AUC, Sherif’s expertise spans design, engineering, and real estate finance. His research advances sustainable futures in the built environment, contributing to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) through design, assessment, and socio-technical innovation. He is the Founder and Academic Lead of the Engaged Sustainable Futures Lab and a Living Future Accredited Professional. Sherif actively promotes global knowledge sharing for SDG implementation, as reflected in his research and publications on sustainability in construction and the built environment.

Sushmita Shekar is an urban designer, policy advocate, and architect dedicated to urban development that prioritizes social and environmental capital. At Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Sangath, she has worked with governments across the US, China, Russia, India, and the Middle East to promote sustainable growth. Recognized as one of Metropolis Magazine’s Future 100 designers, she serves on the Board of Social Capital Initiatives and as a Consultative Delegate to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), contributing to global urban policy. She also supports the UN2030 Sustainable Development Agenda through the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development. Co-author of Livable Cities of the Future for the G20 Summit, Sushmita advances youth engagement and sustainable urban strategies as a Fellow of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and a Research Affiliate at Columbia University.

Vera Tangari is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), with degrees in Architecture (IMB), Urban Planning (University of Michigan), and Urban Environment (USP). The SDGs Local Learning Studio builds on her and UFRJ’s involvement in the International Summer Global Studios (2021/22), the UIA 2023 Student Summit Studio, and CSUD’s Accelerating the SDGs project. Committed to participatory design and planning, she has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral theses. Tangari serves on the Board of the Brazilian Association of Landscape Architects and coordinates the Open Spaces Systems in Rio de Janeiro State (SEL RJ). She has organized key events including the National Seminars on Open Space Systems and Landscape Education, the New Heritage Approach webinar series /Our World Heritage, 2021/22), the International Portuguese Network on Urban Morphology Seminar (2022),  Heritopolis events in Mexico (2024) and Brazil (2025). Tangari has published widely on open spaces, landscape, and urban morphology in national and international journals and books.

Silvia Vercher Pons is an architect, urban designer, educator, and researcher working at the intersection of practice, academia, and institutions. A Senior Associate at Perkins Eastman, she leads large-scale urban and cultural projects, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a design tool and integrating context, culture, and sustainability. She teaches at Pratt Institute, integrating the SDGs into her urban history course to connect theory with design practice. Silvia’s work on the future of cities has been featured at global summits including Habitat III (Quito), WUF9 (Kuala Lumpur), and the UN Business Dialogue (Nairobi). Silvia is a board member of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and a fellow at Columbia’s Climate School Center and the Urban Design Forum, where she advocates for sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities.

Cid Blanco Jr. B.A. and M.A. in Architecture and Urbanism from the University of São Paulo and Ph.D. in Urbanism from the University of Lisbon. He is a specialist in planning and management of urban poverty reduction programs by IHS Rotterdam and in housing design and development by Lund School of Engineering. He has worked for 15 years in public administration with urban development policies, housing, strategic planning, social inclusion and citizen participation, at local and national level. As a consultant, he has worked for national and international governmental institutions, including UN agencies and development banks. He is currently a consultant in urban development and housing at the IDB and coordinates the UN 17 SDG Commission of the International Union of Architects (UIA).

Jennifer Boyer is Vice President of Sustainability at TU Dublin, leading the Irish University Association on Climate Action Roadmap delivery with a focus on reducing energy-related emissions. As Head of Architecture, she collaborated to redesign the curriculum around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, addressing climate change challenges. Jennifer developed Building Change, a national cross-sectoral partnership supported by the Higher Education Authority that unites all six Irish Schools of Architecture with local ecosystems to tackle Climate Action and Housing for All. The project works closely with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and has prompted a review of the European Professional Qualifications Directive to include climate competence as a key professional standard. Jennifer’s leadership integrates education, policy, and professional development for sustainable futures.

Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, is an architect, urban designer, educator, and author based in New York City. He co-chairs the UN Habitat Professionals Forum and co-founded the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization(CSU). A Distinguished Professor and former Chair at the Spitzer School of Architecture, CCNY, he received the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. He led the NEA Design Excellence Program and advised the 9/11 Memorial Design Competition. Brown co-founded the AIA Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee and led AIANY’s award-winning Post-Sandy Initiative. A 2014 President of AIA New York, he was also a UN Habitat III Policy Unit 8 member. His many publications include Beyond Zuccotti Park, Urban Design for an Urban Century, and Waterproofing New York. He lectures and consults globally.

Jua Cilliers is Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney and a Professor of Urban Planning. She previously led the UTS School of Built Environment and directed the UTS Green Infrastructure Lab. Jua is President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners, representing over 40,000 planners in 30 countries. She holds registrations with the South African Council for Planners and the Planning Institute of Australia. Her qualifications include degrees in Urban and Regional Planning, Economics, and a PhD in Planning. She serves on Sydney’s District and Regional Planning Panels. Jua has received multiple honors, including finalist placements in the Women in Science and South African Science and Technology Awards, and has won the National Teaching Excellence Award and the NAWIC NSW Executive Leadership Award.

Iman Gawad is a professor at the British University in Egypt and Helwan University, Cairo, specializing in sustainable architecture and the vernacular built environment. She holds a Master’s from University College Dublin and a PhD from Helwan University. With extensive teaching and mentoring experience, she has published widely in leading journals and conferences. Internationally, she serves as Co-Director of the UIA Commission on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a member of the UIA Education Commission, and a jury member for architectural competitions. She also chairs the Habitat and Environment Commission of the Africa Union of Architects, is a Council Member of the Union of Mediterranean Architects, and an elected Board Member of the Society of Egyptian Architects. Her work bridges education, sustainability, and global architectural collaboration.

Nadia Habash is a Palestinian architect, academic, and civil society leader—the first woman to preside over a professional syndicate in Palestine. Born in Jerusalem, she holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Jordan and a Master’s from the University of Michigan. She is an adjunct professor at Birzeit University and founder of Habash Consulting Engineers, an award-winning firm recognized for its heritage and sustainable projects. Habash serves on the board of several cultural and sustainable development institutions, including the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem University and Bisan Center for Research and Development.  A strong advocate of inclusion and equality, she integrates the SDGs into her professional and academic work. She sees architecture as a form of national resistance that enhances Palestinian resilience and protects cultural heritage as a foundation of identity.

Harriet Harriss , ARB, RIBA, (Assoc.) AIA, PFHEA, FRSA, PhD, is a tenured professor at Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment and a Public Director of AIANY. A UK-qualified architect and award-winning educator, researcher, writer, and qualified Death Doula, she is known for pioneering scholarship that integrates queer, feminist, post-humanist, and anti-colonial theories to promote diverse and inclusive pedagogies, policies and professional practices. Author of 10 books, including Architectural Pedagogies of the Global South and Architects Afterlife, funded by a €330,000 Erasmus Plus grant, her recent book 100 Women Architects in Practice was named a Top 10 Architecture and Design Book of 2024. From 2025 to 2028, she will be Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture in Johannesburg, advancing  a deep commitment to transformative education, pedagogy, research, public programming and practice.

Peter Hasdell is an architect and urbanist, educated at the University of Sydney and the Architectural Association. He is a full professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design. Previously, he held academic roles at Bartlett School UCL, TU Delft, KTH, HKU, and University of Manitoba. His research explores metabolic systems at the city scale—viewing the city as a living organism—and adaptive architecture focused on responsive and collaborative spatial design. Peter founded and directs In-situ Project, a collaborative research-by-design platform that advances sustainable development, material circularity, and social design. The platform has co-designed and co-constructed numerous award-winning projects in rural China and Iraq.

Rory Hyde, PhD, is a Melbourne-based designer, curator, writer, and educator focused on new design practices that serve the public good and redefine the architect’s role. He is Associate Professor of Architecture, Curatorial Design, and Practice at the University of Melbourne. From 2013 to 2020, he was Curator of Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism at the Victoria and Albert Museum and served as a Design Advocate for the Mayor of London. Rory convenes the ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact, celebrating projects that prioritize public benefit. He authored Future Practice: Conversations from the Edge of Architecture (2012) and co-edited Architects After Architecture: Alternate Pathways for Practice (2020). His work bridges architecture, social innovation, and public engagement, inspiring new ways to think about design’s impact on communities.

Karen Kubey is an urbanist based in New York and Toronto, specializing in housing design and spatial justice. She edited Housing as Intervention: Architecture towards Social Equity (2018) and was the founding executive director of the Institute for Public Architecture. Kubey co-founded the New York chapter of Architecture for Humanity and led the New Housing New York design competition. She holds architecture degrees from UC Berkeley and Columbia University’s GSAPP, where she began her career designing below-market housing. Now an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Toronto, she has also taught at Pratt and Columbia and was a 2019–20 Faculty Fellow in Design for Spatial Justice at the University of Oregon. She currently convenes the American Institute of Architects’ Right to Housing Working Group.

Adam Lubinsky, PhD, AICP, is a Partner at WXY, an award-winning architecture and planning firm based in New York City and an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He is also the Interim Director of the M.Sc. Program in Real Estate Development, and has trialled studio projects with a focus on the SDGs. Adam brings an interdisciplinary approach to urbanism and the public realm. Trained as an architect with a Ph.D. in planning, he has a particular focus on strategic frameworks, master plans, and feasibility studies for public, private, and community-based projects. Over his career of two decades in the US and UK, Adam has utilized community engagement, data analysis and design to re-conceive how neighborhoods and cities change. 

Geeta Mehta is an adjunct professor of architecture and urban design at Columbia University and founder of Asia Initiatives (Social Capital Initiatives), a non-profit supporting underserved communities through neighborhood, environmental, and livelihood improvements. She pioneered Social Capital Credits (SoCCs), a virtual currency for social good, recognized by Fast Company, MIT SOLVE, and others. Geeta has been honored on the Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact Makers list, as a Purpose Prize Fellow, and as one of Women’s eNews’ 21 Leaders of the 21st Century. She serves on the NYC Mayor’s Waterfront Management Advisory Board and the University of Tokyo’s Management Policy Council. While living in Tokyo, she was president of AIA’s Japan Chapter. Her latest book, Sustainable Cities for the Future, co-authored with global experts, was launched at the T20/G20 Summit in India in 2023.

Tokunbo Omisore, RIBA, FNIA, Hon FRAIC, and AIA (Hon), is a visionary architect, developer, and thought leader from Ghana. He served as Past Vice President of the UIA Region V (Africa) and Past President of the Africa Union of Architects (AUA). Throughout his distinguished career, Tokunbo has championed architectural excellence and professionalism across Africa. As UIA Vice President for Region 5, he promoted values of integrity, inclusion, leadership, and excellence in design and construction. He notably advanced the African Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI), gaining global attention for its potential to address critical issues such as climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration. Tokunbo’s work bridges architecture, development, and sustainable solutions for Africa and the wider global community.

Caroline Pidcock is a leading Australian architect and advocate focused on design, climate action, and regenerative futures. As founder and director of PIDCOCK, she has decades of experience in sustainable and visionary architecture. Deeply connected to the lands and waters she works within, Caroline is committed to creating architecture that restores people, place, and planet. She is an Adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of Newcastle and Co-Chair of the AIA’s National Climate Action & Sustainability Committee. Caroline has held leadership roles including president of RAIA NSW and ASBEC, and serves on boards across climate, design, and advocacy organizations. Recognized with numerous awards, she has also participated as a juror for national and international architecture competitions. Caroline inspires through her principled and courageous approach to transformative design.

Lucy Slack is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), where she has worked since 1999. She leads CLGF’s efforts to promote local democracy, good governance, sustainable urbanisation and improved local service delivery. Lucy oversees CLGF’s regional offices in Fiji, South Africa, Ghana, East Africa, India, and Trinidad and Tobago. Her expertise includes decentralisation, intergovernmental frameworks, local economic development, and municipal finance. She has played a key role in the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative and in global efforts to localise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Before joining CLGF, Lucy worked at the Local Government International Bureau and in a local authority’s planning and economic development department. Earlier in her career, she lived and worked overseas. She holds a BA in German and Politics from the University of Bradford.

Philippa Nyakato Tumubweinee, PhD, is a Ugandan-born architect and academic based at the University of Cape Town, where she is Associate Professor and, from 2019-2022, led the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics. She holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Studies and is also an Associate Partner at  Stewart & Partners Studio. Her teaching and research explore architectural education, critical pedagogy, and the role of speculation and imagination in design and urban transformation. Dr Tumubweinee’s scholarly work focuses on materials, materiality, space, place-making, place-based knowledge, and the built and urban environment. She has contributed to projects in South Africa and Uganda and collaborated with the Norman Foster Foundation on the Art of Mobility exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. She previously served on the Commonwealth Association of Architects’ Education Committee and the Modern Heritage of Africa (MoHoA) initiative.

Ishtiaque Zahir Titas, Hon. FAIA, Hon. FRAIA, Hon. KIA, FIAB, is co-founder of  VITTI, a leading architecture and urban design firm in Bangladesh for over 30 years. A UK graduate in Computing and Design, he focuses on impactful public projects, sustainability, and participatory design. He believes sustainability must be central to development and that architecture should emphasize research and innovation. He represents the UIA at UN-Habitat, advocating for urban professionals in the New Urban Agenda. As Co-chair of PCG Professionals, he spoke at the UN Habitat III plenary in Quito and advised on the Habitat III Thematic Meeting on Open Space. He contributed to the COP, Barcelona Declaration, and Dhaka Declaration. He is the immediate past 1st Vice President of the UIA and founding Co-Director of the UIA SDG Commission.