Adriano Bisello, Italy

Adriano Bisello is an Urban and Environmental Planner, with more than ten years of working experience and a strong interest in the field of smart-city projects and low-carbon urban-regeneration strategies. He did his Ph.D. in Real Estate Economics, investigating the co-benefits of smart-energy projects at the urban level. After graduating, he worked as a consultant and a freelancer planner for public administrations and engineering companies. Currently he is senior researcher in the Urban and Regional Energy Systems research team at EURAC in Bolzano (Italy). Adriano’s activities range from local to European-funded projects in the field of smart cities, international energy planning, and sustainable energy policies and plans. He is a passionate public speaker and co-author of research works published in international books and journals. Since 2015, Adriano has managed the international conferences on “Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions” —SSPCR— held by EURAC (http://www.sspcr.eurac.edu/). He is a member of SIEV (Italian Real Estate Appraisal and Investment Decision Society) and of ISOCARP (International Society of City and Regional Planners).

Wanjiju Macharia, Kenya

Wanjiku Macharia is currently the Principal Consultant of Frontline Planning & Innovations,  a firm involved in institution  development. Wanjiku has worked with a number of international professional services firms involved in capacity building to ensure that government departments plan adequately for programmes to secure budget  allocations from the National Treasury and support to civil society organizations  to develop programmes to enable them access part of the international funds made available to the national government.  She has provided strategic and operations management,  including information management advice  to ensure that the organizations  are structured and have appropriate information to carry out the functions they are mandated to perform.

Wanjiku has diverse experience in public sector programmes that involved development planning,  implementation and monitoring of public sector programmes, over the last 15 years.  She has been a project manager and an essential technical and advisory team member on significant national projects.

Wanjiku has a professional interest in the  evolving area of participatory planning  urban and regional spatial development strategies.  Her interests in infrastructure and technology are developing appropriate individual capabilities and institutional capacities to ensure  a networked ecosystem that deliberately make for more inclusive and equitable access to benefits anticipated to be derived from the significant investments being made in ICT  and infrastructure projects.

Wanjiku is a member of the National Council of the Town and County Planning Association of Kenya, a member of ISOCARP and a member of the Public Financial Management Panel at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.