Petra (Stieninger) Hurtado is the Research Director at the American Planning Association, heading APA’s research team, programs, and related initiatives. Her areas of expertise and research include sustainable planning practices; smart cities; nature-based solutions; environmental psychology; planning and equity; and integration of technology, community, and nature.
Prior to joining APA, Petra worked as an advisor, planner, researcher, and educator in the global urban sustainability arena. She has a Ph.D. in urban planning from the Vienna University of Technology, where she teaches on urban sustainability and environmental psychology. Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer at Loyola University Chicago and the Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar, Colombia. Petra has authored and co-authored multiple books, research papers, publicly funded reports, and articles and has presented as a subject matter expert at numerous conferences around the globe.