We are proud to share that Adriana Allen, former President of the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and a long-standing member of our global community, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the National University of Mar del Plata (UNMDP) in Argentina.
This recognition is a heartfelt tribute to Adriana’s outstanding international career in the fields of community-led housing, feminist urbanism, and urban and environmental justice. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, 24 September at the Rector’s Office of UNMDP, in the city where Adriana first began her journey as an architect and urban thinker.
A Lifelong Commitment to Just Cities
The proposal to honour Adriana with the highest academic distinction of the university was initiated by the IHAM Board of Directors, with the full support of the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design, where Adriana received her initial training. She went on to pursue a Master’s in Urban Development Planning and a Doctorate in Planning Studies in London, building an exceptional academic and professional trajectory that has spanned nearly 40 years and over 30 countries across the Global South.
Currently a professor at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (DPU), University College London (UCL), Adriana has led transformative initiatives including UCL’s Grand Challenge of Sustainable Cities and served as Vice-Dean of International Engagement. Her academic work is deeply rooted in practice, bridging research, advocacy, and policy.
From the Local to the Global
Throughout her career, Adriana has championed the power of grassroots knowledge, collective organising, and feminist political ecology in shaping inclusive cities. Her work has addressed critical urban issues such as housing, land, water, risk, food systems, and public health—always centring the everyday struggles and aspirations of urban communities.
As President of HIC from 2019 to 2023, Adriana played a key role in strengthening solidarity across HIC’s regional platforms in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. She worked alongside social movements, academic institutions, and policy-makers to advance the right to housing, feminist urbanism, and decolonial approaches to city-making.
A Well-Deserved Honour
This honorary doctorate from UNMDP recognises not only a brilliant academic and practitioner, but also a committed activist and mentor who has dedicated her life to advancing dignity, equity, and justice in our cities.
Among her many publications are Untamed Urbanisms (2015), Environmental Justice and Resilience in the Global South (2017), Urban Water Trajectories (2017), Handbook of Urban Global Health (2019), and the Routledge Handbook of Urban Resilience (2020), which continue to inspire generations of urban scholars and activists.
Let us come together to celebrate this deeply deserved recognition of Adriana Allen’s lifelong contribution to more just, inclusive, and sustainable urban futures.
💜 Felicidades, Adriana. Your work continues to inspire us all.
