Gabriella Y. Carolini

Gabriella Y. Carolini is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning and International Development at MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, where she leads the City Infrastructure Equity Lab (CIEL). Her research focuses on building equitable infrastructure systems in water, sanitation, energy, and communications across Africa and the Americas, with emphasis on governance, financial architecture, climate adaptation, and health equity.

Education includes a BA in Political Science from Columbia University, MPhil in Development Studies from Oxford University, and PhD in Urban Planning from Columbia University as an NSF-IGERT fellow.

Research explores:

• Infrastructure finance and governance in Global South cities
• Fiscal decentralization and equity outcomes
• Climate-resilient water/sanitation systems
• Participatory planning and South-South cooperation

Publication trends show consistent focus on urban equity, infrastructure governance, and policy evaluation across 20+ peer-reviewed works, with emphasis on spatial justice, fiscal reforms, and community-centered solutions.

Awards:

• NSF-IGERT Fellowship
• 4× Excellence in Advising Award (DUSP)
• Excellence in Teaching Award
• MIT Committed to Caring Award

Active Projects:

• Water/food security with Indigenous communities in Colombia (J-WAFS)
• Amazonian infrastructure futures (MIT Brazil Fund)
• Urban climate finance in Africa

Leads CIEL research team including postdocs and doctoral students, with extensive advising record spanning 30+ master's/PhD students. Affiliated with MIT's Leventhal Center, CoLab, and GEAR Center.