María Mejía
Nairobi
Urban practitioner turning nature and community into cities’ superpower. Maria has worked with game-changing initiatives across Latin America, Asia and the European Union enabling systemic change in cities. Coordinator of IDB’s top-ranked Urban Nature: Platform of Experiences [embedded link https://repository.humboldt.org.co/handle/20.500.11761/9300] (2016), BiodiverCities by 2030 [embedded link https://proyectos.humboldt.org.co/biodivercitiesby2030//] (2022), and Ciudad Humedal [embedded link https://www.ciudadhumedal.org/en/home/] (2025). Dual degree in Economics and Political Science; with a Minor in Architecture & Cities and MSc in Global Change Ecology. Recent passion projects include ‘Nairobi Nature Icons’ photo exhibition and TEDxNairobi Talk: ‘What Protects Urban Nature? Sometimes it’s a Tent’. Proud to also serve as TNOC’s Regional Curator for LATAM.
More by this author at The Nature of Cities
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Whose voices shape and make decisions in NbS, and who doesn’t get included? What could real inclusion look like in practice?
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Interested in Wetlands & Cities? This short piece about COP15 is for you
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Nature for All: How can we uproot structural inequity in the provision of nature and its benefits to people?
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Beyond equity: What does an anti-racist urban ecology look like?