Helping cities thrive in harmony with people and planet
Urban Matters is a value-driven, international consultancy promoting a life-centered approach to urban transitions. We are part of the social and solidarity economy driving positive change in cities around the world.
We do research, design, and implementation of urban strategies that drive social justice and sustainability in an integrated way.
Our work is rooted in systems thinking and relational design—acknowledging the inextricable interconnections among all life and our environments. Our work strives to cultivate urban futures where people and planet thrive in harmony with each other.
We work globally aiming to rebalance power relations between Global North & South.
What’s the “MATTER”?
Matter refers to the construction material from which the built environment, and everything we know, is made of
Matter is also a subject, topic, theme, or issue that is worthy of exploring and understanding
It also means importance. Urban affairs do matter, especially when we project 2/3 of the world will soon live in urban areas, cities matter now more than ever.
Alejandra’s thoughts and works on creating more just and sustainable cities
Welcome to Urban Matters, a digital space that brings together articles about current urban issues, reflections about the cities and places I visit, a professional portfolio, urban events & resources, and much more! This is a personal and professional space, which are the same when passion meets work. Cities –the physical manifestations of human complexity, the settlements and systems we have created to organise and manage our societies– are the focus here.
This space is:
- Global: To really understand cities, we have to learn from all of them: big & small, planned & unplanned, successful & unsuccessful, cosmopolitan & secluded, urban & rural settlements, etc. Hence, I aim to gather insights from various corners of the world.
- Critical: Every single city in the world has its issues. These vary greatly in nature, scale, and complexity depending on the context. Understanding what is wrong, and what could be better is the first step in the quest to make cities better: more just and sustainable
- Ever-evolving: Just like cities, and everything around us, this web: its content, thoughts, and the author herself, are in constant change: in self-criticism to learn, grow, and improve every day.
What’s the “MATTER” part?
- Matter refers to the construction material from which the built environment, and everything we know, is made of
- Matter is also a subject, topic, theme, or issue that is worthy of exploring and understanding
- It also means importance. Urban affairs do matter, especially when we project 2/3 of the world will soon live in urban areas, cities matter now more than ever!
We support local governments looking to start or accelerate their eco-social transitions
To understand cities, we deep dive into the sensorial and cognitive experience that streets, people, and places provide. In our work, we explore how and why cities are the way they are today, and envision and strategise how they could be better tomorrow. For this, we must understand urban systems: the physical ones like water, electricity, or waste management, but most importantly the intangible ones: political, economic, and social systems that shape our cities.
We approach cities from a multi-disciplinary way, focusing on its social and ecological dimensions. Cities have incredible potential to use their built and natural environments to enable and support people’s well-being and quality of life. We believe this can be achieved through effective urban governance that enables social innovation and life-centered urbanism.
Find out how in our key publications
We are...
Urbanists
We have a multidisciplinary background in:
- Urban Studies
- Just Sustainability Transitions
- Planning and Design for a Just City
- GIS and Cartography
- International Relations
- Economics
- Linguistics
- Human Geography
- Sociology
Global Citizens
We understand interconnected global issues —climate change, inequality, human rights, etc.—and have decided to work for a fairer, more sustainable, and peaceful world.
Our work draws from our experiences living and working in:
- 50+ countries
- 5 continents
- countless cities and towns
Researchers
We have ample experience conducting, designing and managing urban research around the world.
We combine the scientific rigor of academic research with systems thinking and strategic design to understand the root causes of urban complex challenges and its interconnections, before any proposal or action.
Consultants
We worked with governments at various scales, businesses, NGOs, think tanks, international orgs, including:
- UN-ECLAC
- Government of Kenya
- Chicago Metropolitan Region
- City of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
- Institute for Human Rights and Business
- Building & Woodworkers International
- Pan-American Development Foundation
- World Maritime Univ.
- EU Horizon 2020 Project Lightness
- Inform2Build
- Buildings & Cities
“Be the change that you want to see in the world”
-Gandhi
The Philosophy
Vision: Cities that thrive in harmony with people and planet
Mission: To advance social and ecological wellbeing in cities, improving quality of life at a massive scale -cities and regions.
Values: Our commitment is grounded in respect for life –people and planet, transparency, equity, justice, integrity, and ethics
Our Regenerative Ethos
For us, regeneration means cultivating cities as living systems where people, ecosystems, and cultures flourish together through reciprocity, care, and facilitating, not hindering, the continuation of our and the life around us.
It is an ongoing practice of social, ecological, and institutional nurturing, embedding equity, honoring cultural knowledge, and transforming governance systems to support and maintain life at every scale.
This philosophy is expressed in the ‘Urban Matters’ logo:
The Fibonacci sequence, also known as the “golden spiral” or “golden ratio”, is a recurring proportion that is found in many elements of the universe, from atoms, flowers, plants, and animals, to music, the human body, and galaxies. The concept speaks of order and complexity, of evolution in a harmonious way, just as the evolution of cities should be. This pattern also symbolises the necessity of positive social change at a massive scale in the world.
People & Nature:
The green leaf pointing upwards, towards the future, symbolizes the value of nature as an enabler of life and as an embracing receptacle for human settlements. The symbol is also a reminder of the imperative to preserve our natural environments.
The blue sphere represents the world, and together with the upward curved blue line it resembles a person with open arms towards others, open to ideas, knowledge and cultures. Its position under the green leaf reinforces the role and responsibility of human beings as drivers of positive (or negative) change in nature.
Together, our Logo represents what ‘Urban Matters’ stands for:
“Harmonious sustainable development that respects people and planet”
(because we are one and the same)
