Karla Aurea Peralta Paredes

Senior Associate
Miami, FL

Karla is a Senior Associate at Cityfi based in Miami, FL. An architect and urban planner by training with extensive experience in urban planning and policy design with keen understanding of urban issues, policy challenges, and urban development trends. She has built a specialization in stimulating environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic development in collaboration with public and private sectors.

Prior to Cityfi, Karla worked for UN-Habitat as an urban planner consultant collaborating in the elaboration of city strategies with a planning horizon to the year 2030 taking into account the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. She designed and implemented methodologies for participatory workshops aimed at including community inputs in strategies at the global level as well as implementing tactical urbanism interventions at the local level. Karla has also served as a Project Manager in City & Territory Planning at IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture leading the elaboration of studies of climate change, natural risks, and urban growth for the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Program in collaboration with Inter-American Development Bank for the City of Hermosillo, Mexico. Participated in the elaboration of the Official Assessment Document for the Pre-Feasibility Study for the Special Economic Zones in partnership with the National Bank for Public Works and Services of Mexico. Karla has also collaborated with the Office of Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Green Areas, and Agriculture at the municipality of Milan, Italy in the implementation of tactical urbanism interventions.

Education

  • Polytechnic University of Milan, MSc in Urban Planning and Policy Design

  • Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture

  • Sungkyunkwan University, Study abroad Program, Architecture and Urban Planning

Recognition

  • Scholarship by the European Commission to assist the InGRID Winter School, University of Essex.

  • Winner of the Fabrica Cariplo Call, Get it! Call for Impact Smart Cities and Mobility Action, Food and Environment.

  • Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Scholarship, 2017 – 2019

  • Graduated with the Award of Excellence for Integral Formation at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico.

Certification

  • Real Estate Finance Certificate, Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico

Contact: karla@cityfi.co

What originally drew you to cities?

The identity of a city has a direct influence on the quality of life of its citizens, which is the result of past decisions that impact our current institutions, policies and infrastructure. It excites me that we have the opportunity to leave our cities better than we found them.

What is your favorite city?

I can share my two favorite cities. Mexico City for its scale, diversity, richness in culture, food, and community, which makes it magical. And Milan, for its elegance, efficiency, attention to design, quality of life and of course, the food!

What does transportation happiness mean to you?

To get where I want to go without worrying how I am going to get back home, producing as little carbon emissions as possible while feeling safe. Easy to say, work in progress…

Which podcast do you usually recommend?

Three on my list are: 99% invisible, Babbage, and Monocle 24: The Urbanist