I am the city partner research lead for Havana, Cuba, as part of KNOW Work Package 1, City Knowledge Co-Production. I Lead the Urban Research and Action Group (URA-G) at the School of Architecture of the Technological University of Havana (CUJAE), where I have taught and researched since 1995. In 2005, I completed my PhD dissertation after having obtained a Master's in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, 2001.

My research projects have focused on urban situation analysis and the integration of sustainability-oriented concepts into planning and urban design strategies covering issues such as urban food systems, mobility, and heritage conservation. URA-G´s project distinguishes themselves by their trans-disciplinary approach.

My academic work has evolved from Cuba in an intensive exchange with a wide international network. I lead the Centre for Urban Studies of Havana and previously sat as the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, 2006 – 2012. I’ve also spoken internationally; delivering lectures at universities such as Harvard´s Graduate School of Design, ETH-Zürich, UCL, and University of Toronto. I have collaborated on international research projects considering planning processes and practices in Cuba and in Europe where the outputs have been applied and adopted.