Metropolis
Meet the experts who will select our next pilot projects
Past April 10th was the deadline of the call for the international jury that will be responsible for evaluating and selecting the six Metropolis pilot projects of the edition 2018-2020. After the revision of all applications, we are pleased to present the four experts who will be working with us in the coming months, and whose profiles are diverse and complementary: Marouschka Bujten, Edith Gingras, Fernando Murillo and Lookman Oshodi.
Ms Marouschka Bujten, a Dutch citizen, is a specialist in social housing and urban development programs and projects with a strong background working for vulnerable groups. Ms. Bujten has experience working in NGOs, local government and private sector in Africa (Rwanda, South Sudan) and Asia (Cambodia).
Ms Edith Gingras, a Canadian citizen, is a manager and municipal planner specialized in local governance, economic development and decentralization issues. She has over 25 years of experience working in local government. Her experience includes working in Canadian, African and Asian municipalities on management issues (council and service management), in community involvement through participatory decision-making processes, in development planning /urban management strategies, lobbying and advocacy central government towards increasing decentralization of municipal competencies, in the implementation of urban and rural development policies, as well as, in local and regional economic development.
Dr. Fernando Murillo, Phd in architecture and urban planning from the University of Buenos Aires, has a professional experience focused on urban-regional planning and low income housing in post-crisis context. Dr. Murillo combines a mix of academic work, as professor and director of research programs at the University of Buenos Aires, with management positions at different United Nations agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNHCR, UN Habitat, etc). His experience includes countries in the Middle East (Palestine and Lebanon), Africa (Sudan, South Sudan and Rwanda), Latin America (Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina) and Asian countries (East Timor and China). Recently, its career has been devoted to designing innovative tools for participatory planning approaches for slum upgrading, including preventive strategies through urban-housing preparedness.
Mr Lookman Oshodi, from Lagos, Nigeria, is the project director of Arctic Infrastructure (AI), a private organization with broad focus on infrastructure delivery, urban development and the environment. He has experience in different areas of infrastructure, ranging from housing and transportation to energy, water and sanitation. Recently, Mr Oshodi has been exploring the possibility of using smart and climate resilience infrastructure to drive the regeneration of cities in developing countries. He has been coordinating the Dutch Alliance for Sustainable Urban Development in Africa (DASUDA) development project, which is exploring the Lagos lagoon as a key element in delivering affordable housing, transportation, water, green public spaces and sustainable environmental development in Lagos.
Ms Marouschka Bujten, a Dutch citizen, is a specialist in social housing and urban development programs and projects with a strong background working for vulnerable groups. Ms. Bujten has experience working in NGOs, local government and private sector in Africa (Rwanda, South Sudan) and Asia (Cambodia).
Ms Edith Gingras, a Canadian citizen, is a manager and municipal planner specialized in local governance, economic development and decentralization issues. She has over 25 years of experience working in local government. Her experience includes working in Canadian, African and Asian municipalities on management issues (council and service management), in community involvement through participatory decision-making processes, in development planning /urban management strategies, lobbying and advocacy central government towards increasing decentralization of municipal competencies, in the implementation of urban and rural development policies, as well as, in local and regional economic development.
Dr. Fernando Murillo, Phd in architecture and urban planning from the University of Buenos Aires, has a professional experience focused on urban-regional planning and low income housing in post-crisis context. Dr. Murillo combines a mix of academic work, as professor and director of research programs at the University of Buenos Aires, with management positions at different United Nations agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNHCR, UN Habitat, etc). His experience includes countries in the Middle East (Palestine and Lebanon), Africa (Sudan, South Sudan and Rwanda), Latin America (Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina) and Asian countries (East Timor and China). Recently, its career has been devoted to designing innovative tools for participatory planning approaches for slum upgrading, including preventive strategies through urban-housing preparedness.
Mr Lookman Oshodi, from Lagos, Nigeria, is the project director of Arctic Infrastructure (AI), a private organization with broad focus on infrastructure delivery, urban development and the environment. He has experience in different areas of infrastructure, ranging from housing and transportation to energy, water and sanitation. Recently, Mr Oshodi has been exploring the possibility of using smart and climate resilience infrastructure to drive the regeneration of cities in developing countries. He has been coordinating the Dutch Alliance for Sustainable Urban Development in Africa (DASUDA) development project, which is exploring the Lagos lagoon as a key element in delivering affordable housing, transportation, water, green public spaces and sustainable environmental development in Lagos.
The jury above was selected from a total of 27 applications received by the Metropolis Secretariat General.
Regarding gender parity, 56% of the applications were sent by women, and regarding worldwide representation, the applications were distributed across the Metropolis regions in the following way: 44% from Europe, 30% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 11% from North America, 11% from Asia, 4% from Africa.
After the call for pilot projects applications from our members closed, on May 15, the jury’s work of evaluation will take place between next June and July. The finalist projects will be then presented to the Metropolis Board of Directors for ratification, during the next Metropolis Annual meeting, which will take place in the Gauteng Province (Johannesburg) from 26 to 29 of August.
You may find the full profiles of this jury, as well as of other experts, at the Policy Transfer Platform, our database that connects urban case studies and urban professionals from around the world.
Regarding gender parity, 56% of the applications were sent by women, and regarding worldwide representation, the applications were distributed across the Metropolis regions in the following way: 44% from Europe, 30% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 11% from North America, 11% from Asia, 4% from Africa.
After the call for pilot projects applications from our members closed, on May 15, the jury’s work of evaluation will take place between next June and July. The finalist projects will be then presented to the Metropolis Board of Directors for ratification, during the next Metropolis Annual meeting, which will take place in the Gauteng Province (Johannesburg) from 26 to 29 of August.
You may find the full profiles of this jury, as well as of other experts, at the Policy Transfer Platform, our database that connects urban case studies and urban professionals from around the world.