Speakers

Karol Janas is the head and co-founder of Urban Policy Observatory at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development, Poland. His main areas of expertise are urban policy monitoring and evaluation; urbanization processes in transitional countries of Central Eastern Europe and transformative approach to urban regeneration. He cooperates closely with urban policy-makers both at governmental and local level, doing his best to bridge the gap between the theory-based evidence and the practice.

He used to work as researcher and lecturer at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland (2005-2012) where he earned PhD in urban geography. Manager of many international research and development projects. He coordinated work of experts from over 20 countries preparing the first State of the European Cities in Transition Report for the UN-HABITAT. He has been engaged from many years in international development programmes (i.e. Polish-Aid in Ukraine and Moldova, EU Twinning project and Visegrad Fund projects in Georgia). At the moment he is managing the Polish programme of the 11th session of World Urban Forum.

But he not only gives policy recommendations to the others – he also tries to implement them himself i.e. by cycling to his office 30 km a day.