"Are we working on the right problem? Unfortunately, all too often the answer is NO. It’s not that we don’t want to work on a good problem, but that we rarely ask the question." -- Marie Aquilino. bit.ly/MarieAquilino

Marie Aquilino is a specialist in contemporary urban development and #PostDisasterReconstruction. In her new and emerging business, Problem Wisdom, Marie teaches inspired leaders to resolve social and environmental crises by defining better problems. From 2014-2016 Marie worked as co-founder and director of the Water Atlas Consortium, a diverse team of specialists who work together at the intersections of water science, big data, public health and cartography for water ministries in developing countries. Marie is also the author and editor of Beyond Shelter: Architecture and Human Dignity (Metropolis Press, 2011), which aims to inform, educate, and sensitize architects to the best practices of reducing disaster risk worldwide. Marie was repeatedly honored by the French with a Compétences et talents Visas to develop programs that educate and train architecture students to work in the contexts of extreme need and crisis in the developing world. She is also a former laureate of the Partner University Fund for her work in Titanyen, Haiti. A respected specialist in linking risk to development, Marie speaks frequently at conferences and universities. From 2008-2015 she was professor of architectural history at École Spéciale d'Architecture (ESA) in Paris, where she led seminars on The World At Risk, Future City Lab, and Make. Marie holds a Ph.D. from Brown University in art and architectural history and is fluent in French. Her latest book, Abiding Architecture, is currently available at http://issuu.com/marie.aquilino/docs/abidingarchitecture. See the full interview here: bit.ly/MarieAquilino

If anyone is interested! ;) http://www.aesop-planning.eu/news/en_GB/2017/07/20/readabout/aesop-lecture-series-lecture-12-special-lecture-to-celebrate-diamond-jubilee-of-klaus-r-kunzmann

Mundus Urbano alumna Pinar Bilgic has been working externally on the new land-use planning concept of the region #FrankfurtRheinMain upon completion of the master program and her mandatory internship at the Regionalverband Frankfurt Rhein Main in 2016. At the same time, she is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Fachbereich Architektur TU Darmstadt. Her research focuses on the urban transformations in the region and the growing conflict between meeting the housing demand and protecting #UrbanGreenSpaces. Through an analysis of the resilience of urban green spaces under the impact of urban transformation, Pinar's main motivation is to proactively connect academic discourses with practice. If you are interested in knowing more about what she does, she'd gladly provide more information! What is your story? #MundusUrbanoAlumni: http://bit.ly/MUsubmit

Mundus Urbano student Sofia Robbe Bender is about to conclude the master program and she is currently doing her mandatory internship at the Regionalverband Frankfurt Rhein Main. At this position, she has the opportunity to get to know more about regional and metropolitan planning in Germany. Furthermore, she is involved in #SustainableMobility projects and innovative solutions related to mobility. Being in direct contact with current bicycle-related projects, such as bicycle use in commuting and bicycle highways #Radschnellweg in the region #FrankfurtRheinMain, also contributes to her master thesis which explores the promotion of bicycle as a transportation mode in her home city, São Paulo. She's happy to help if you want to learn more about her professional path! What is your story? http://bit.ly/MUsubmit

"Where am I? Unless you’re thinking of what to eat; Pide and Kebap restaurants remind you that you’re still in Istanbul. What aspirations drive these culturally devoid utopias?" -Sneha Malani Follow Sustainable Emergency Architecture student Sneha in her exploration of Istanbul as she completes her internship with Beyond Istanbul, with Mundus Urbano guest professor Yashar Adanali #SpatialJustice

SAVE THE DATE: This year Mundus Urbano turns 10 years old! We invite all program alumni and partners to celebrate with us in Darmstadt this October. More details to come soon!

Master MESCI -Development Economics and International Cooperation alumnus Flaminia Riccioni Capelli sends her greetings from Burkina Faso, where she is now working with NGO Bambini nel Deserto. Congratulations, Flaminia! #InternationalCooperation #DevelopmentEducation

Mundus Urbano Alumnus Dana Barqawi completed her internship at the UN-HABITAT headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently based in Jordan, working as an Urban Planner with a civil society expert organisation called BORDA (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association). Through developing, implementing and disseminating decentralised sustainable technologies and social measures for water, wastewater, energy and waste, they are committed to making the transition towards liveable and inclusive cities which gives disadvantaged urban populations access to basic public services such as energy, sanitation, waste management, and water. Here we see her on a scoping mission for solid waste management in Lebanon. She's happy to help if you are interested in knowing more about what she does! What is your story? #MundusUrbanoAlumni: http://bit.ly/MUsubmit

“The influence of other sciences on our own knowledge is amazing, and we have to accept that in the interest of the complex social society it will lead us to better solutions.” —Claus Hemker http://bit.ly/ClausHemker

Claus Hemker

In Mundus Urbano, Claus Hemker teaches the course on #DisasterRisk Management and #Reconstruction Project Management. He shares with us his thoughts on connecting gaps between theory and practice, international frameworks and local adaptations. Hemker is an architect specialized in disaster prevention and reconstruction tasks. He is a principal consultant for planning and building in development countries, housing reconstruction, and emergency shelter projects for Caritas Deutschland (Germany), with more than thirty years of experience with partner oriented, community based (re-)construction projects after disaster in different contexts. He works to develop standard procedures for sustainable (re)construction project design and appropriate project management, together with donors, project managers, engineers and communities during regular projects visits. See the full interview here: http://bit.ly/ClausHemker

Timeline Photos

MU Program Directors present congratulatory prizes to the team voted 'Best Project Proposal' of the semester by their colleagues. Their project addressed accessibility of schools for disabled youth in Beirut. Great work was presented by all today, concluding the Mundus Urbano 2016/2018 cohort's first year in TU Darmstadt and warranting a well-deserved celebration!