About Aleksandra

I am a German graduate of the MSc in Nordic Urban Planning Studies program at Roskilde University and UiT Arctic University of Norway. My work focuses on inclusive urban planning and livable neighbourhoods, and on how cities can better respond to people across different ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

My academic path started in International Cultural and Business Studies, where I became increasingly interested in geography and in the relationship between everyday life, power, and the built environment. A field-based research trip to the Val Aupa valley in Friuli was an important turning point for me. Working with qualitative methods and on-site observation helped me understand something that still guides my thinking today: space is never simply “given” or neutral. It is constantly made and remade through the people who use it, their routines and relationships, and the opportunities or barriers built into everyday environments.

An internship abroad in Copenhagen then opened up my interest in urban planning. Living there and experiencing the effects of people-oriented design made me see what urban quality of life can look like when mobility, public space, and accessibility are taken seriously. This experience inspired my bachelor’s thesis on sustainable urban development in Copenhagen, where I looked at green mobility, urban green spaces, and waterfront development, while also taking a critical perspective on issues such as green gentrification.

To move closer to planning practice, I later worked in planning and architecture contexts in Hamburg. At Studio Andreas Heller, I supported a city-centre study through site analysis, research, and visual presentation. As a Working Student in District Development at IBA Hamburg, I contributed to mobility, social-space, and communication concepts and produced plans and project documents. During my master’s studies, I also worked on a critical mapping project about accessibility for people with mobility impairments in Copenhagen.

My master’s degree gave me the research-based and critical foundation I was looking for. Through problem-oriented projects, I explored accessibility, participation, and the perspectives of groups who are often overlooked in planning. My master’s thesis focused on youth-inclusive spaces in Lübeck’s historic city centre and on how planning can create room for young people beyond consumption and formal institutions.

Participatory and qualitative methods, including mapping, are a key part of my approach. I believe urban challenges can rarely be understood from a single angle, and I am especially interested in work that brings together social insight, spatial development, and environmental responsibility. Having recently graduated, I am now looking for an opportunity to contribute this perspective in urban development, neighbourhood planning, participation, or research.