Raquel Rolnik

Raquel Rolnik professor, architect and urban planner, with over 35 years of scholarship, activism and practical experience in planning, urban land policy and housing issues. She holds a professorial chair in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of São Paulo and is the author of several books and articles on urban and housing issues. In her career, she has held various government positions including Director of the Planning Department of São Paulo (1989-1992) and National Secretary for Urban Programs of the Brazilian Ministry of Cities (2003-2007), and has worked for NGOs, for example, as the Urban Policy Coordinator of the Polis Institute (1997-2002). From May 2008, Raquel Rolnik was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing for a six-year mandate, ending in June 2014. She is the author of many books, including “Guerra dos Lugares: A colonização da terra e da moradia na era das finanças” and “A citade e a lei” which focuses on the analysis of zoning law in São Paulo.