Karina Castro Arce

Karina Castro Arce is a Lecturer at the School of Architecture, University of Costa Rica, with academic qualifications from the Central American Institute of Public Administration (2010), University of Porto (2011), and her architectural degree from the University of Costa Rica (2006). Her research focuses on the intersection of social innovation and environmental governance, particularly in Costa Rican contexts.

Her research interests include social innovation applications in social-ecological systems, regional development, spatial planning, and community-based environmental initiatives. She examines how innovative social arrangements can address environmental challenges, particularly in protected areas and water resource management. Her work contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on sustainable development and environmental protection.

Analysis of her publications reveals consistent scholarly output with a focus on practical applications of social innovation theory in environmental governance. Her research demonstrates particular expertise in Costa Rican environmental policy contexts, with strong emphasis on community-based approaches to conservation and regional development. The publications show increasing citation impact, with her 2020 Journal of Rural Studies article receiving over 200 citations.

Her scholarly contributions include significant work on polycentric governance structures, social-ecological systems, and the practical implementation of social innovation theory in environmental contexts. She has developed a distinctive research fingerprint that connects theoretical frameworks with practical conservation initiatives in Central America.

Castro Arce collaborates extensively with Francis Vanclay and Constanza Parra, producing research that bridges academic theory with practical environmental governance applications. Her 2022 doctoral thesis from the University of Groningen represents her most comprehensive scholarly contribution to date, synthesizing her research on socially-ecologically innovative regions.