Team — CityLAB-Dar

DR. PRISCILA IZAR

Acting Head (March 2020 to July 2021)

She is currently a visiting fellow at the School of Architecture and Planning and the Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies (CUBES) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Previously she was a Postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at Ardhi University’s Institute of Human Settlements Studies (IHSS) and the Architecture Department. Her research lies in the intersection of gender, housing and neighborhood production and transformation in peripheral territories, and the right to the city, through comparative analysis.

DR. ELINORATA MBUYA

Senior Researcher

She is a Research Fellow at Ardhi University with expertise in built environment analysis, climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. She has been involved in several international programs such as: Climate Change and Urban Vulnerability in Africa (CLUVA), Sustainable Use of Drylands Biodiversity (RPSUD), and Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Modelling (CCIAM). She also has been associated with the Technology Policy Studies Network.

EMMANUEL NJAVIKE

Project Coordinator

He is responsible for coordinating CityLab activities, also conducts research on urban infrastructure, formal and informal interface as well as localizing Sustainable Development Goals at the city scale. He has expertise in coordinating field research activities including training enumerators before data collection, supervising the application of surveys and data entry activities. He is pursuing his Masters in real estate at Ardhi University.

UPENDO MBUNDA

Research Assistant

In addition to her work as a research assistant, she manages the day to day procurement and financial operations of the CityLAB. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Building Economics at Ardhi University from 2018, and is currently undergoing her practical training as a Quantity Surveyor. Her undergraduate dissertation explored in-formalities and formalities in Tanzania’s construction industry.

GWAMAKA LUCAS MWAKALINGA

Communication Officer

She is a content communication officer at CiltyLAB responsible for strategic communication planning,writing, editing and distributing content including publication, press releases and website content. She is also responsible for seeking opportunities to enhance CityLAB’s research and outreach activities and coordinate public events as required. With more than 6 years of experience in communication, Gwamaka is interested in communication innovation and in creating content that is useful and effective.

Current Associates

DR. NATHALIE JEAN-BAPTISTE

Former Head

Her work focuses on infrastructure systems at risk in low-income countries, urban transformation and co-production of knowledge. She has 10 years of research experience in Africa, Europe and Latin America on urban development and planning. She is associated with the University of Technology of Darmstadt, leads the Climate Change and Environmental Risk Research Cluster at Ardhi University, serves as a board member of the International Association People-Environment Studies and has taught and presented her work extensively worldwide.