Laura Valdés is an urbanist specialised in social justice and sustainable development in cities. As Head of Policy at Metropolis, the World Association of Major Metropolises, Laura leads an international team in supporting city governments worldwide. Laura oversees Metropolis’ work on knowledge production and advocacy addressing issues such as metropolitan governance, social equity, gender equality, foresight, and sustainability. Before joining Metropolis, Laura worked on innovation and inclusive development strategies as a Policy Analyst at the OECD. She also gained significant experience in urban cooperation projects at the International Relations Department of the City of Paris. Laura holds an MSc in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford, and a Master’s in International Relations and Cooperation from the University of Paris I Sorbonne.
Selected publications or texts
- Metropolis (2024) Redefining metropolitan governance in the 21st century
- Metropolis (2024) Care Toolkit for City governments
- Metropolis (2022) Rethinking public space for a sustainable metropolitan future
- OECD (2019) Enhancing Innovation Capacity in City Government