Beatrice Hati Gitundu

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Research and Urban Development Associate

Beatrice Hati is an urban development specialist who is zestfully devoted to a transformative urban development, resilience and sustainability practice. She coordinates the Urban Hub at the International Centre for Frugal Innovation which is hosted in Kenya by Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research.

Her practice and research interests solidly align to pro-poor development, inclusive (social) development, disaster risk and resilience, grassroot agency and pragmatism, innovation practices, policy and development politics, (adaptive) governance, slum upgrading, and decolonial research practices. She further identifies as an active global citizen supporting the transformative SDG 2030 awareness and sits in the UNAccc (Unity of Nations Action for Climate Change Council) Governing Council as the Secretary General for Kenya.

Beatrice is a scholar-activist, and currently pursues her doctoral research in “Multilevel risk governance and resilience construction among the urban poor” at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands. She has background in urban planning (University of Nairobi, Kenya), an MSc in Urban Development and Management with specialty in Urban Sustainability and Climate Change (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands).

She has previously worked as a research consultant for the Centre for Urban Research Innovation, University of Nairobi; Planner and Development Specialist for Shack/ Slum Dwellers International (SDI); Lead Transport Researcher for Institute for Development Studies (IDS), among other roles.

Projects at Nuvoni

The Nairobi Urban Hub

Publications

Thomson, D., Kuffer, M., Boo, G., Hati, B., Grippa, T., Elsey, H., Linard, C., Mahabir, R., Kyobutungi, C., Maviti, J., Mwaniki, D., Ndugwa, R., Makau, J., Sliuzas, R., Cheruiyot, S., Nyambuga, K., Mboga, N., Kimani, NW., Albuquerque, JPD. & Kabaria, C. 2020, ‘Need for an Integrated Deprived Area “Slum” Mapping System (IDEAMAPS) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)’, Social Sciences, vol. 9, no. 5, 80, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9050080
Hati, B., 2020. Adopting Collective Frugality in Rethinking, Re-planning, Reimagining urban informal settlements: Mukuru Special Planning Area (SPA) Planning Approach; Nairobi-Kenya. International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), ISBN 978-90-75524-67-3, pp. 952-964 https://doha2020.isocarp.org/programme/discussions/183-proceedings or https://isocarp.org/app/uploads/2021/06/ISOCARP_2020_Gitundo_539.pdf
Mitullah, W. V., Basil, P. Opiyo, R. O., Hati, B., Okeyo, M. (2019) ‘Walkability and Accessibility Audit: Case Study of Mukuru Kwa Njenga’. Available at: https://intalinc.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2019/07/Final-Report_Mobility-Accessibility-Audit-in-Kwa-Njenga.pdf.
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 2019. ‘Realising the Multiple Benefits of Climate Resilience and Inclusive Development in Informal Settlements’. – Contributor. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/realising-multiple-benefits-climate-resilience-and-inclusive-development-informal
Fransen, J., Hati, B., Van Stapele, N., Kiriro, S., Nyumba, R., 2022 The resilience of informal settlements in Nairobi: multiple pathways and coping strategies. Forthcoming.
Fransen, J., Hati, B., Van Tuijl, E., Nyumba, R., Onsongo, E., 2022 Community vitality and frugal practices in informal settlements: Insights from Nairobi Forthcoming.