Catalina Ortiz

Dr. Catalina Ortiz is a Professor of Critical Urban Pedagogy at the Development Planning Unit (DPU), University College London (UCL). She has held roles including UCL Urban Lab Director since 2024 and previously served as Associate Professor at the DPU (2019–2024) and Academic Director at the National University of Colombia (2012–2014). Her work focuses on spatial justice, decolonial urban theory, and equitable urban development in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

• Education:
• B.A. Architecture, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
• M.A. Urban and Regional Studies, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
• PhD in Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago (Fulbright Scholar)

Research interests include urban governance, participatory planning, and knowledge co-production. She co-leads the UCL Urban Lab and serves on editorial boards of journals like Urban Studies and International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Her consultancy work spans international organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Dr. Ortiz advocates for radical spatial imagination and ethical urban practices, emphasizing marginalized voices in city-making processes. She is a trustee of Latin Elephant and advises the Changing Stories research project.