Deborah Navarra
About
Architect and urban sustainability advocate with a passion for blending creativity with strategic thinking.
My professional journey began in the vibrant streets of Rome, where I honed my skills in architecture and urban design. Since then, I have worked across diverse urban contexts—from the dynamic cityscape of London to the metropolitan intensity of New York and the academic innovation of UC Berkeley—exploring the complex intersections between architecture, urbanism, and sustainability.
Today, I am based in Trondheim, Norway, where I work as a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Smart and Sustainable City research cluster at NTNU. My research focuses on integrated approaches to urban design, climate-neutral cities, and governance. I manage and contribute to major Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ projects, supporting cities in transforming sustainability ambitions into spatial and policy innovation.
Committed to education, I actively mentor and teach future architects and urban designers, guiding them through the challenges of design thinking, system-based methodologies, and real-world engagement. I view design education as a civic practice, where critical inquiry meets action to create a more inclusive and resilient urban future.
“Let’s leave this world a little better than we found it.” — B.P., 1941
Research
CrAFt
ReValue
Bauhaus Bites
NEB-STAR
Teaching
Supervision
Co-supervising students working on M.Sc.Thesis in Urban Ecological Planning.
Outreach
2024
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LectureWyckmans, Annemie Bertha Marcella; Ahlers, Dirk; Khaleghi, Marjan; Weir, Katherine; Navarra, Deborah; Berbic, Nadira. (2024) Re-Value City Visit Burgas (Black Sea City Visits). Re-Value / ICLEI / NTNU / Burgas Municipality Re-Value City Visit in Burgas , Burgas 2024-06-12 - 2024-06-14
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LectureNavarra, Deborah. (2024) The Human Scale of City Design: Navigating the Interplay of Body, Form, and Res Publica in the 21st Century. The Urban Europe Research Alliance (UERA) UERA Seminar and General Assembly 2024 , Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany 2024-02-20 - 2024-02-23
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Academic lectureNavarra, Deborah. (2024) Localising SDGs: Empirical insights on how SDGs can be localised in Horizon EU projects. UEP NTNU Methods UEP , NTNU Gløshaugen 2024-09-23 - 2024-09-23
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Academic lectureNavarra, Deborah. (2024) Shifting Perspectives of Urban Planning. Insight from fieldwork in the Global South. UEP NTNU Fieldtrip UEP , NTNU Gløshaugen 2024-09-02 - 2024-09-02
2023
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LectureWyckmans, Annemie Bertha Marcella; Junqueira de Andrade, Elisa; Navarra, Deborah; Reina, Alessia Helena Claudia Maria; Mohajermoghari, Nikoo. (2023) Open Living Lab Days Barcelona. CrAFt Open Space Discussions: NEB Alliance (Travelling Tree of Desire) , Open Living Lab Days Barcelona 2023-09-21 - 2023-09-23
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LectureHansen, Cristine; Eiliott, Helene; Wyckmans, Annemie Bertha Marcella; Mohajermoghari, Nikoo; Reina, Alessia Helena Claudia Maria; Navarra, Deborah. (2023) Open Living Lab Days Barcelona 2023. NEB-STAR and CrAFt The Art of transitioning - artistic contribution towards inclusive, aesthetic and sustainable future , Open Living Lab Days Barcelona 2023 2023-09-21 - 2023-09-21
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LectureReina, Alessia Helena Claudia Maria; Navarra, Deborah; Mohajermoghari, Nikoo; Wyckmans, Annemie Bertha Marcella. (2023) New European Bauhaus Alliance - Open Space Discussion. CrAFt Open Living Lab Days Barcelona , Barcelona 2023-09-21 - 2023-09-21
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LectureNavarra, Deborah; Vinje, Odd. (2023) Smart Cities Expo World Congress Barcelona. DigiNEB (CrAFt and NEB-STAR as speakers) Digitalising NEB , Barcelona 2023-11-08 - 2023-11-08
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Academic lectureNavarra, Deborah; Camilli, Francesco. (2023) Innovation in Urban Planning and Design: New European Bauhaus. Rolee Aranya FP 4350 Bypolitiske teorier og planleggingsteori , Sentralbygg 1, Gløshaugen 2023-10-04 - 2023-10-04
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LectureNavarra, Deborah. (2023) Panel Discussion: The Digitalisation for a Sustainable Future - Shaping the New European Bauhaus for "Digitalising NEB" digiNEB.eu First Annual Event at Smart Cities Expo World Congress - SCEWC 2023 . digiNEB.eu Panel Discussion , Barcelona 2023-11-08 - 2023-11-08
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LectureJunqueira de Andrade, Elisa; Wyckmans, Annemie Bertha Marcella; Reina, Alessia Helena Claudia Maria; Navarra, Deborah. (2023) CrAFt Networking Island. EC projects on climate-neutral and smart cities Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona , Barcelona 2023-11-07 - 2023-11-09