ADVANCING YOUR CAREER

INTERNATIONAL
MENTORING PROGRAM
FOR URBAN PLANNERS 

You need mentors or you’ll
stay where you are.

Thank you!

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THE PROCESS

The roadmap you will follow

STEP 1

Together, we’ll explore your goals and motivations to ensure your journey through the program is 100% aligned with your purpose and aspirations.

STEP 2

You’ll follow a guided, personalized mentorship journey with top professionals you choose based on your goals and interests.

STEP 3

You’ll emerge with the clarity, tools, and international network you need to access to new proffessional opportunities

TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is this mentorship program for? 

This program is NOT FOR EVERYONE.  It is aimed at urban planners who are ready to grow but need clarity, direction, and expert support. If you’re feeling stuck, want to pivot into a new niche, or are aiming to work internationally, this experience is designed to transform your career.
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If you lack of career clarity and purpose 

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If you fear of making the wrong move

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If you need to pivot to stop being stagnated

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If feel you need to get a job abroad 

A. You lack of career clarity 

If you lack career clarity, you're not alone. Many urban planners feel unsure about what direction to take next  whether to stay in their current role, explore emerging fields like climate adaptation or digital urbanism, or pursue international opportunities. Without a clear vision, it’s easy to feel stuck, make reactive decisions, or waste time on paths that don’t align with your strengths.

WHAT YOU GET? 
  • You will gain clarity about your ideal career direction and the niche where you can stand out and thrive.
  • You will feel confident making strategic decisions about your next move whether it's a new role, specialization, or international opportunity.
  • You will have a clear roadmap, built with expert support, to guide your growth and keep you focused.
  • You will be connected to a global network of mentors and peers who open doors and inspire your journey.
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B. You fear making the wrong career move

You fear making the wrong career move because the stakes feel high  your time, energy, and reputation are on the line. With so many paths emerging in urban planning, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or paralyzed by uncertainty. Without expert guidance or a clear framework, every decision feels risky. This fear can keep you stuck in roles that no longer serve you  even when you know you’re meant for more.

WHAT YOU GET? 
  • You will stop second-guessing your career moves and start making confident, informed decisions.
  • You will understand your unique value and how to position yourself in a competitive market.
  • You will move forward with clarity, supported by expert feedback and personalized guidance.
  • You will unlock new opportunities, from niche specializations to international roles you never thought possible.
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C. You need to pivot to stop being stagnated

You need to pivot to stop being stagnated because staying in the same role, doing the same type of work, year after year  without growth or challenge slowly drains your motivation and limits your potential. The urban planning field is evolving, and if you’re not evolving with it, you risk being left behind. Pivoting isn’t about starting over it’s about realigning your skills with where the opportunities are. And the right guidance makes that shift not only possible, but powerful.

WHAT YOU GET? 
  • You will break out of professional stagnation and rediscover motivation, purpose, and direction.
  • You will reposition yourself in a growing niche that aligns with your strengths and future trends.
  • You will attract new roles and projects that match your evolving profile and ambitions.
  • You will regain momentum with a clear plan and expert guidance to fuel your next career chapter.
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D. You need to get a job abroad

You need to get a job abroad because your ambitions go beyond borders. Whether you’re seeking better opportunities, higher impact, or a more dynamic professional environment, working internationally can be the catalyst for real growth. But without the right network, positioning, or understanding of global job markets, breaking in can feel out of reach. With expert support and international mentorship, you can navigate that leap with clarity and confidence.

WHAT YOU GET? 
  • You will understand how to position yourself for international roles and global organizations.
  • You will connect with mentors who have successfully built careers across borders and can guide your path.
  • You will gain insights into different job markets, cultures, and expectations  so you can prepare strategically.
  • You will open doors to global opportunities that match your skills, ambitions, and values.
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BENEFITS

Transformative Program designed for Urban Planning Professionals

Shape your career into a global success story.

Connect with world-class mentors, gain insights into emerging trends, and develop the skills necessary to grow beyond local opportunities. Through personalized mentorship, international networking, and exposure to best practices from leading urbanists, you'll transform your career into a story of growth, leadership, and global recognition.

Accelerate your transition into high-demand urban planning niches.

This program will help you identify and position yourself in fast-growing areas of urban planning, such as sustainable mobility, digital urbanism, climate-resilient design, and smart cities. With personalized mentorship and insights from industry leaders, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills needed to transition into specialized roles where your expertise is in high demand, giving you a competitive edge in the global market.

Open doors to new roles, collaborations, and leadership opportunities.

This program offers expert mentorship, strategic career coaching, and access to a global network of top professionals, connecting you to new career paths and collaborations. You’ll gain visibility in the urban planning community, positioning yourself for leadership roles, consulting opportunities, and innovative projects that align with your professional goals.

Practical approach

Our training program is designed to equip individuals with necessary skills through hands-on learning and real-world experiences. The success of our students is the best testament to our training methods, as their achievements showcase the value of the education we provide. This feedback highlights our commitment to skill development that prepares individuals for their future endeavors.
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01 Build a clear career path

You’re passionate about urban planning, but you’re not entirely sure where your career is going or could go. This program is designed to help you move beyond confusion and into clarity. Through mentoring and strategic guidance, you’ll define a direction that’s right for you, aligned with your values and strengths, and connected to real-world opportunities.

Why do you need help?

Because if you keep moving without a plan, you risk investing years in roles that don’t reflect your full potential. You’ll miss the chance to grow with intention and may settle for what’s available instead of what’s possible. You don’t need more trial and error you need direction.
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02 Get noticed by the right people

It’s not enough to do good work you also need to be visible in the right networks and spaces. This program will help you create a strong professional presence, improve your personal brand, and connect with mentors and peers who recognize and value your skills.

Why do you need help?

Because being excellent in your field means little if no one knows what you do. Without guidance, it’s easy to stay invisible in a highly competitive global market. You need a strategy, feedback, and exposure to stop being overlooked and start being seen.
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03 Access international opportunities

You want to work across borders, take part in global conversations, and contribute to projects that shape the future of cities. This program opens those doors connecting you to mentors from different continents, and giving you the knowledge, confidence, and visibility you need to grow internationally.

Why do you need help?

Because international opportunities rarely come through job boards. They come through people through networks, visibility, and alignment. Without the right guidance and positioning, your profile may never reach the places you aspire to go. This program helps you get there faster and better prepared.
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04 Stop waiting for things to happen

You’ve been thinking about taking action, but something always gets in the way uncertainty, lack of time, fear of failure. This program is the push you’ve been waiting for. It’s a structured space for momentum, clarity, and transformation built for professionals like you who are ready to grow.

Why do you need help?

Because waiting leads to stagnation. And the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to build confidence and move forward. You don’t need to have everything figured out to start you just need a framework, people who believe in you, and a process that makes growth possible. That’s what this program offers.

Meet the mentors you’ll have access to during the program

Here’s a preview of some of the mentors you’ll be able to connect with during the program. Download the program brochure below.

Oleksandra Tkachenko

Chairwoman UNUN.NU - Urban planner KuiperCompagnons

Venugopal AV

Project manager - Healthy streets & Partnerships ITDP India

Samuel Austin

Senior Land Use Planner - City of New Westminster- TEDx & Public Speaker 

Nicolas Kersting

Consultor en adquisición y desarollo de proyectos- Superwien urbanism

Ezgi Güler Tozluoglu 

Planning Architect FPR/MSA | Urban Designer & GIS Specialist - Tengbom

Mariana Gomes

Associate Director @ The Nature Conservancy |  Private Fundraising

Edgar González

Director at ELISAVA & Acid House Madrid /Former Vice Dean of Design, IE University

Viviane Weinmann

Transport Planner at GIZ. Former Transport Planner at ARUP

Bram Dewolfs

Director of Placemaking - Youth Participation Expert - Educational Specialist

Bankim Kalra

CEO at Centre for Green Mobility I Director, Quantum Leap Studio Pvt Ltd

Jenny Sepulveda

Planner at City of Calgary. Ex. Project manager Alcaldia Medellín

Hitesh Vaidya

Ex. NIUA Director, - Ex. UN Habitat Country manager India 

Ángela López

Associate - Senior Urban Planner and Designer at ARCADIS. 

Meeta Goel 

Social and Urban Planning Expert - INI Design Studio. India

Verónica Sánchez 

Dra. Arquitecta Urbanista. Cofounder & partner at n'UNDO

Beatriz Sendín

Architecture, City & Territory Cofounder & partner     n'UNDO

Silvia Casorrán

Sustainable Mobility Advisor. Former deputy chief architect at Barcelona city Council

Clinton Moore 

Capacity Building Expert / Urban Governace consultant at UNDP 

Andreas Michelsen

Director, Sustainability Lead at Gehl

Daizong Liu

East Asia Director at ITDP

Vinita Dhume

Director Masterplanning and Urban Design at SAVILLS

Jorge Pérez

Founder mdeurbanlab.com

Mayra Madriz

Founder Hyphaterra - Former Director at GEHL San Francisco

Mustafá Sherif

Urban Planner, Placemaker & Studio Manager at AFRY 

Tonia Vasile

Senior urban planner specialised in cross-cultural Design

Watetu Gachoki

Advisor on Sustainable Built Environment Projects for African Youth

Justin Paul Ware

Senior Planner and Project Manager at Interboro Partners

Jeffrey Shumaker

President of Urbanscape &  Co-Founder of Partners in Public Design

Lior Steinberg

Co-Founder & Urban Planner @ Humankind 

Adriana Vega Sánchez

Experta en ciudades verdes y desarrollo urbano y regional sostenible.

Victoria Freyssinier

Sustainable Infrastructure Expert and associated trainner Columbia University

Shuwen Zhou

Deputy Director of Social Equity and Participation Center

Ananya Bhatia

Sustainable Urban Development senior consultant

Nadeem Ahmed  

Associate Principal Urban Planner, Cities & Communities. AtkinsRéalis

Ilektra Papadaki

Senior expert to international organizations | Climate-neutral smart cities researcher

Florinda Boschetti

Urbanist - Clean Air Advocate - Sustainable Mobility & Social Innovation Advisor

Elisabet Ollé Amat 

Senior Urban Designer, AECOM - Los Angeles

Tanya Jimenez

Senior Cities Strategist at Circle Economy


Oliver Lah

Coordinator, Urban Living Lab Center, a UN-Habitat Collaborating Center

Konrad Otto-Zimmermann  

Director at The Urban Idea; Former Secretary General of ICLEI

Cornelia Dinca

Founder of Sustainable Amsterdam. Prog. Manager @ TU Delft Urban Energy Inst.    

Luciana Renner

Directora Ejecutiva en Fundación Placemaking México

Laura de la Plaza Hidalgo

Seniro Urban Planner. Head of ESG and Urban Planning at JLL. 

Dagmar Köhler 

International advisor on Walking, cycling and cooperation across borders 

Federica Risi

Senior Policy & Project Officer at European Urban Knowledge Network

Rodrigo Vargas

Sr. Urban planner specialized in urban land development and urban data analysis

Frank D’hondt

CTA UN-Habitat Vietnam - Secretary General ISOCARP - Co-chair World Urban Pavilion

Ana Rivas De Gante

Co-Founder- Street Experiments for Transitions/ Associate Researcher at TUM

Judy L. Baker

Sr. Advisor, Sustainable Cities, Affordable Housing & Urban Migration 

Alexandra Gomes

Urban researcher and socio-spatial data analyst at LSE Cities

Lauréline Lhuillier 

Sr. Urban Planner specialised in Urban Resilience & Climate Change Adaptation

Sonia Medina

Sustainable mobility and gender specialist. M.Sc. Urban management

Konstantinos Kourkoutas

Coordinator CORE Smart & Sustainable Cities / ULALABS @UAB

Dinda Dewinta

Urban planner, international cooperation, public policy. UK embassy in Jakarta

Amaia Celaya

Sr. Specialist @United Nations and @European Commission 

Martin Grisel

Director @ EUKN EGTC | Master's in Strategic Urban Studies

Gargi Roy

Senior Urban Designer @ AS+P Albert Speer + Partner
I Gerd Albers Award 2024

Milena Ivkovic

Public Space Designer / Civic Participation Innovator. URBACT expert

Didier Vancutmsem

Director of Institute for Urban Excellence - International expert in urban planning - IUPF 

José Carpio-Pineda

Assoc. Prof. at UPM - Urban planning, design and mobility. PhD in City &Regional Planning

Saira Vilchis

Expert in sustainable Urban Development and Mobility at Centro Mario Molina

Hassan Elmouelhi

PM@Arab Urban Development Institute. Researcher @ Technische Universität Berlin 

Cynthia Echave

Senior Urban Planner specialized in transformative & Regenerative Urbanism

Patricia Gimenez

Senior Architect and Urban Planner & Designer | EURMed Master’s

Alexandru Matei

Senior Officer Urban Agenda and Partnerships @ European Urban Initiative

Seeta Raghupathy

Founder  of Seagull Studio.  Senior Urban Development Consultant, WB & ADB

Jordi Bosch

Active and Sustainable Mobility Specialist at UN-HABITAT

Maite Peris

Communications Director on urban transformation and personal branding (15+ years)

Alejandro Ceballos

Urban Planner specialized on public policies and sustainable urban planning at GIZ

Daniel Bulmer

International urban designer . Director of Place Services and Digital Planning @ CAPITA

Jaime Ruiz Huescar

Co-founder of CITIES FORUM

Iria Lopez-Carreiro

Assistant professor & Researcher @ Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM)

Tiago Mota

Cofounder & Director @ ateliermob. Invited professor in Universidade de Lisboa

Maria N. Paulino Araújo

International Urban Mobility Planning Consultant @ MIC-HUB

Paul Wilsons

Smart Cities World Advisory Board. Former Chief Business Officer at Catapult Cities

Connery Cepeda

Director at Oriental Consultants Global. Urban and transport planner

Giacomo Lozzi

International advisor on urban policy & urban mobility

Sean Hertel

Principal, Hertel Planning | Connecting people and ideas to build great places

Claudine Enduma

Urban Planner at Government of Republic of the Philippines .Expert in Climate Action

Reza Ambardi P.

Senior Urban Designer at Arup Indonesia. Expert in City Information Modelling (CIM),

Raul Oliván

Founder & Director at Hexagonal | Cultural Transformation Leader

Betty Chemier

Head of Experimentation @ UNDP Accelerator Lab | Founder @ReURBE

Jorge Alonso Rodriguez

Expansion Strategy Leader for Spain & LATAM @Chapman Taylor

Marina Kyriakou

Urban Planner at Cyprus Energy Agency. Placemaking Europe Leader

Elena Ogando

International Senior Urban Designer/Architect @ AECOM Spain

Lucia Mejía Dorantes

International Policy Analyst in Mobilities, Transport and Urban Planning

Enrique Manzano

PhD Architect / Urban Planner, professor and expert in urban planning consultancy.

Erin Walsh

Strategic Leader in Placemaking & Inclusive Growth | Housing

Ana Báez Fornieles

Co-Founder and Mentor at Women in the Public Sector Association 

Eileen Crowley

EU Regional Development & Strategic Planning Expert | Lead Expert URBACT IV 

Ludo Campbell-Reid

Global executive advisor to cities

Giselle Sebag

Executive Director at the International Society for Urban Health

Dayana Al Alam

Expert in participatory urban development | Local climate response | Learning & training.



Easy as one, two, three

Choose your plan

Standard Program 

€ 3300
A complete entry point into the CITIES FORUM mentoring ecosystem, designed for urban planners who want structured guidance, international exposure and access to a global professional community.
  • 15 one-to-one mentoring sessions
  • Access to the learning & mentoring platform 
  • Webinars, workshops and exclusive masterclasses
  • Knowledge Series: co-authored articles and insight pieces with mentors and fellow mentees
  • Access to the community meet-ups
  • Access to the 3-day Madrid Final Study Visit
  • Certificate of completion

Plus program

€ 5100
An enhanced mentoring experience for urban planners who want deeper guidance, stronger professional visibility and a more active role in the international CITIES FORUM community.
  • 25 one-to-one mentoring sessions
  • Everything included in the Standard Program
  • Accommodation included for the Madrid Final Study Visit
  • Speaking slot at Shaping Urban Futures in the 3-day Madrid Visit 
  • Participation in the "Meet This Urban Planner initiative" to be exposed in LinkedIn

Full experience program

€ 8500
The most comprehensive pathway for urban planners seeking extended mentorship, priority access and a fully supported international experience connected to Madrid and the wider CITIES FORUM network.
  • 35 one-to-one mentoring sessions
  • Everything included in the Plus Program
  • 24 months to book your mentoring sessions
  • Priority access to mentors
  • Flights and accommodation included for the Madrid Final Study Visit
  • CITIES FORUM Associate Expert profile and corporate email address, subject to professional assessment by our technical team
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Donwload the Brochure

Here you will have access to all the information about the program

Thank you!

Book a call to assess your eligibility

In 30 minutes, you’ll be able to discuss your career motivations with our program coordinador, find out whether the program is the right fit for you, and receive the guidance you need
You can contact also by email : Jaimeruiz@citiesforum.org

WANT TO HEAR A STORY?...

Life of an Urban Planner after 30

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Your professional Certificate 

Participants will receive a certificate from CITIES FORUM upon completion of the professional

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