
Beatrice Hati Gitundu
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
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.
Perspectives
- Tell It Like It Is: Conversations Between the Global North and South on Design and Community Life in Human Settlements
- How can community resilience initiatives (CRI’s) be better connected to (local) governments and other development partners?
- Community-Led Development : The new ways of working during crises
- Resilience – A channel of hope or just a fashionable jargon? An African Community Lens: Grounded Perspectives
Awards
- First runner up for the Legends and Leaders Awards 2022 by Women In Real Estate Society (WIRE) – Young achievers category
- Awarded the Annual Town and County Excellence Award (TCEA) 2018 for a great contribution towards better towns.