Laura Sobral she/her

Laura Sobral is an urbanist and co-founder of The City Needs You Institute, a prominent Brazilian civil society organisation, and A GRUPA, a European collective of female urban practitioners. Her work focuses on public space use and shared management arrangements. Laura is recognised as a right-to-the-city activist and urban professional, with her contributions extending to academia, where she is pursuing her PhD at universities in Lisbon and Vienna. She is the author of the book 'Doing it Together – Cooperation Tools for City Co-governance,' available in editions in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Laura is known internationally for her engaging talks and compelling discussions on active citizenship, community-driven urban spaces, hackable cities, co-policies, and the social production of space. She has shared her thoughts and work at various events, providing insights into appropriating public spaces and fostering cooperation between citizens and local administration. Laura's multiple contributions to the urban field reflect her dedication to enhancing urban life and promoting cooperative governance for fairer cities.