Sara Candiracci

She also leads our work on gender-responsive urban planning, and on child-friendly and playful cities. Sara believes in the power of collaborative partnerships and community engagement to achieve step-change outcomes in global issues.

With more than two decades of experience as an urban planner, researcher, and international development expert, Sara has been at the forefront of designing and leading projects and programs focused on creating more equitable, inclusive, healthy and resilient cities. She also has the ability and passion to use applied research to shape innovative ideas and approaches, and transform them into strategies and practices that enable innovation and change. Some examples are the Proximity of Care Design Guide, the Playful Cities Toolkit, the Nature Based Play Report, and the Cities Alive Publication Designing Cities that work for Women.

Sara holds a PhD in urban planning, with a thesis on the role of cultural heritage in place-making and sustainable development in East Africa. She is a member of the Cities4Children’s Steering Committee. Prior to Arup, Sara has worked with UN Agencies, Development Banks and NGOs across Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia.