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DrAura Istrate

Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Urban Planning & Sustainable Urbanism

School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy

Orcid identifier0000-0003-1832-8816 (opens in a new tab)⁠
  • Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Urban Planning & Sustainable Urbanism
    School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
  • +353873528450
  • University College Dublin, School of Architecture Planning and Environmental Policy

RESEARCH INTERESTS

I am interested in topics of sustainable urbanism, particularly in the areas of active mobility, livable streets, (green) public spaces, and better integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning.
I serve as the Primary Coordinator of C-NEWTRAL (Horizon MSCA-DN 2024-2028), a Doctoral Network aiming to advance new approaches for integrated planning of climate-neutral cities through citizen engagement and city governance decision-making support.
I am Co-Leading REALLOCATE, a Horizon Europe project (2023-2027) focusing on rethinking the design of streets and public spaces to leverage modal shifts towards climate-friendly active mobility in 10 European Cities. 
I additionally serve as Principal Investigator for two BIODIVERSA+ projects (NatureScape and NBS4AQUAMISSION), and I am involved as a team member in several other projects, looking, for instance, into engaging citizens and stakeholders in co-creating solutions for an upgraded post-pandemic use of green public spaces for improved health and wellbeing.

I am leading the Liveable Cities Group at UCD APEP, currently with 4 PhD students, 4 Postdoc Researchers, and 1 Project Manager in my team. 

GRANTS

  • PARTNERSHIP GRANT
    NatureScape
    Environmental Protection Agency (Epa)1 Apr 2025 - 31 Mar 2028
    People funded by this grant:
    • Istrate A
  • PARTNERSHIP GRANT
    NBS4AQUAMISSION - Nature Based Systems Mission for Aquatic Biodiversity Enhancement
    Environmental Protection Agency (Epa)1 Apr 2025 - 31 Mar 2028
    People funded by this grant:
    • Istrate A
  • PROJECT GRANT
    Leveraging Education to Advance Research in Citizen Science
    University College Dublin (UCD)1 Mar 2025 - 31 May 2026
    People funded by this grant:
  • PROJECT GRANT
    C-NEWTRAL: smart CompreheNsive training to mainstrEam neW approaches for climaTe-neutRal cities through citizen engAgement and decision-making support for innovative governance and integrated pLanning
    Horizon Europe1 Feb 2024 - 31 Jan 2028
    People funded by this grant:
  • GRANT
    smart iNtegratEd training throUgh parTicipatoRy methods plAnning & governance tooLs for climate-neutral city solutions (NEUTRAL)
    Enterprise Ireland (EI)30 Jun 2022 - 29 Mar 2023
    People funded by this grant:
    • Istrate A
  • GRANT
    European Structural and Investment Fund for postdoc research
    European Structural and Investment Fund1 Sep 2019 - 31 Aug 2020
    Project: “Strengthening the university’s scientific capacities”, grant number CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/16_027/0008472 (1 year)
  • GRANT
    ‘Adopting an R-Urban model: empowering local communities to develop sustainable built environments in developing countries’
    Newton Fund (British Council)
  • GRANT
    Challenges of Sustainable Development
    Sendzimir Foundation