Patricia Acosta Restrepo - Universidad del Rosario

PATRICIA ACOSTA
Archi tect – Urban Planner
acostap@alum.mit.edu / paticota03@gmail.com
Practitioner for more than 13 years in urban planning, land management, urban management,
policy formulation and urban project formulation from different positions as a public official in Bogotá
– Colombia. More recently, a transition towards international development consultancy and local
policy advocacy has taken place, linked to urban management and habitat policy research activities
in Academia. Currently Professor of Urban Studies and Planning in the Universidad del Rosario´s
School of Political Science - Urban Management and Development Program.
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Areas of expertise include urban development and land use policies, general/long term
comprehensive plans as well as detailed plans for specific areas, including strategic projects
and multi-sector programs.
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Broad experience as a public official in structuring large technical studies and coordinating
interdisciplinary teams, writing public policy white papers and urban regulations, and
formulating government development plans´ territorial components from both senior planner
and management positions.
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Spokesperson for several urban management initiatives, involving negotiations with
stakeholders, multilevel and municipal inter-institutional coordination, inter-sector dialogues,
debates in political arenas, as well as large public hearings.
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Relevant experience in all plan/program stages including concept, formulation, participation,
contract supervision, implementation, assessment and evaluation in Colombian as well as
multilateral agencies.
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Practical knowledge of land management systems, land readjustment mechanisms and related
public project finance strategies, including value capture. Directly involved in land readjustment
and partial plan project approval, as well as the definition of specific development guidelines
and regulations applying land management instruments and strategies to private initiatives.
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Skills in community planning, facilitation, participatory budgeting and consensus building,
applied in several large and medium scale urban plans and local policy initiatives.

Involved as lecturer and trainer in several institutional strengthening and capacity building
programs such as planning policy implementation strategies, professional development for
managers and staff in sector agencies and operators, as well as workshops for community
leaders and advocacy groups.
Deep understanding of Colombian urban policy development and the habitat/housing sector, has
been an asset in international studies and academic seminars, that coupled with a rich professional
experience in the public sector has become a critical source of insight for advisory work with
decision makers in the public and private sector. The experience in the field and institutional savvy
have been well complemented by the more recent academic endeavors and research, providing a
broad, comparative outlook on urban development issues and a critical perspective; which has in
turn become increasingly valuable for international development and collaborative research.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO 2009-to date. Bogotá, Colombia. Professor of Urban Studies &
Planning School of Political Science & Government. Urban Management and Development
Program. Member of CEPI´s (Centro de Estudios Políticos e Internacionales de la Universidad del
Rosario) Public Policy research group.
WORLD BANK 2008-2009. Washington DC. Consultant in strategic development project
identification and formulation. Limon City Port Project)/ Costa Rica (pre investment project
identification stage) Puntarenas City Port Project / Costa Rica (Project Concept Note stage) Impact
Evaluation Study - Participatory Budgeting Peru (literature review- preliminary study formulation
stage). Supervisor: LAC Social Sector William Reuben
INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK 2007. Washington DC /Institutional Capacity and Finance
Sector - Municipal Management Division. Eduardo Rojas – Supervisor. Visiting Professional as
Fulbright – Humphrey Fellow. Research on US Housing Policy and lessons for L.A.
LINCOLN INSTITUE OF LAND POLICY 2006-2007. Boston.MA. Latin American & the Caribbean
Program. Martim Smolka – Supervisor. Visiting Professional as Fulbright – Humphrey Fellow. State
of the art for research on Colombian Land Value Capture – Broader context and implementation
strategies.
ALCALDIA MAYOR DE BOGOTA D.C. – COLOMBIA
Department of City Planning / Secretaría de Planeación Distrital
1994-2006
. Strategic Operations Unit
2005-2006
Program Liaison & Technical Studies Supervisor: Design & implementation of Usme Strategic
Operation and Tunjuelo Macroproject (including risk management). Oriental Forest Reserve
border program formulation task force.
. Bogota Comprehensive Plan Revision Task Force 2003-2004
Manager Bogota Master Plan Revision: Responsible for the Plan´s general formulation,
Inter-institutional coordination and final integration of the plan´s technical and legal documents.
. Strategic Operations Unit
2001-2003
Senior planner and Deputy Manager. Responsible for the general plan´s institutionalization phase,
and implementation guidelines. Liaison & Technical Studies Supervisor for “Anillo de Innovación”
operation. Risk Management project JICA – planning and institutional component.
. Bogota Comprehensive Plan Task force
1998-2001
Senior Planner: Responsible for the Strategic Operation´s formulation. General Plan´s conceptual
development and technical document writing team, under direct supervision of the general
Director.
. Special Plans – Urban Development Unit
Junior Planner : Institutional and Industrial Plans
1996-1998
. Physical Planning Unit – Suburban Division
1994-1996
Junior Planner: Bogota oriental Borders and western Expansion Plans, Development PPP´s:
“El
Tintal” and “Lote 8”
ALCALDIA MAYOR DE BOGOTA D.C. – COLOMBIA
Cadastre Agency / Departamento de Catastro Distrital.
1993-1994
Executive Assistant to CEO : General interagency coordination “El Tintal” expansion program, and
internal coordination of the Municipal GIS development project – liaison with the technical
assistance unit of the Québec Ministry of Foreign Relations.
EDUCATION
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (M.I.T.) – Cambridge MA. USA
MS Urban Studies and Planning. 2008
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA. – Bogota Colombia
Masters in Urbanism .1999
UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES - Bogotá Colombia / Mc Gill University – Montreal.Canada
PATRICIA ACOSTA • ARCHITECT • URBAN PLANNER
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Bachelor´s in Architecture. 1993
LANGUAGES
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Native Spanish speaker,
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Full command of English,
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Good conversational and reading level in French.
RECENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
WBI 2011-2012 : Joint Work Program IADB- Cities Alliance – UNHabitat - GIZ on “Successful
Approaches to National Slum Upgrading and Prevention”. Author of the Colombia Country Study
Report.
Ongoing Research Projects:
“Política Urbana Reformista: Políticas públicas de suelo en los municipios de Colombia, en el
marco de la Ley 388”.
“Políticas Nacionales de Hábitat: El Mejoramiento Integral de Barrios, la Producción de Vivienda de
Interés Social y la Gestión del Suelo.”
Papers and Publications from Previous Research :

Acosta, Patricia. (2008) “Policy Learning: New Challenges for Smart Value Capture in
Colombia” MIT MS Thesis. Citable URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44373

Acosta Restrepo, Patricia (2010) Instrumentos de Financiación del desarrollo urbano en
Colombia: La contribución por valorización y la participación en plusvalías. Lecciones y
reflexiones. En Desafíos Vol. 22 No. 1 Universidad del Rosario. Bogotá p.p. 15-53.

Alcaldía Mayor de Bogota DC Departamento Administrativo de Planeación Distrital. Bogota
2000. Documento Técnico de Soporte. Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de Bogotá – Decreto
619 de 2000. Equipo Técnico de Redacción. Capítulos Equipamientos Urbanos y Operaciones
Estratégicas.

Acosta, Patricia. Acosta Israel. Colombia Shifts into New Planning Systems: Preliminary
Review of Integration of Environmental Issues in the First Generation of Municipal Master
Plans, through the Bogota Experience” International Association for Impact Assessment IAIA.
XXI Conference. Cartagena. Colombia. 2001

Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá DC Departamento Administrativo de Planeación Distrital.
Documento Resumen – Primera Revisión 2000-2003 Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de
Bogotá. La Construcción Compartida de la Ciudad Región Bogotá Cundinamarca. Bogotá
2004.

Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá DC Departamento Administrativo de Planeación Distrital.
Documento Técnico de Soporte. Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de Bogotá – Revisión.
Bogotá 2004.
AWARDS AND SPECIAL TRAINING
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UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO 2011
Distinguished Professor Award (Methodological Innovation)
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COLFUTURO 2007. Fellowship MSc Department of Uban Studies & Planning MIT
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FULBRIGHT 2006. Humphrey Fellowship. Special Program for Urban & Regional Studies - MIT
PATRICIA ACOSTA • ARCHITECT • URBAN PLANNER
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Bogota Planning Agency/Lincoln Institute. Land Management & Value Capture. Universidad
Nacional - Lincoln Institute. Professional Program 2001
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JICA Fellow. 2000. General Management Seminar for Regional Development and Planning.
Hokkaido Development Agency – Sapporo. Japan
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CIDA Grantee. International Association of Impact Assessment IAIA-Hong Kong 2000.
Strategic Environmental Assessment.
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Harvard Law School Program on Negotiations. Dealing with an Angry Public Workshop.
MIT- Harvard Public Disputes Program. Cambridge 2007.
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Interaction Institute for Social Change. Essential Facilitation Workshop. 2006 Boston MA. USA
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Interaction Institute for Social Change. The Masterful Trainer Workshop. 2007 Boston MA. USA
SPECIAL PROJECTS & CAPACITY BUILDING
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“Macroproyecto Tunjuelo” 2005-2006. Technical secretary of the inter-institutional multi-sector
committee established by the mayor for an integrated intervention in a basin with multiple
problems derived from informal development, environmental degradation and risks, and
clashing economic interests, including mining.

Member of four municipal development plans formulation task forces and their corresponding
locality development plans technical support teams. 1995-1997 Mockus´ administration, 19982000 Peñaloza´s administration, 2001-2003 Mockus´s administration and 2004-2006 Garzón´s
administration.
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Instructor. Institutionalization strategy for the Bogota Comprehensive Plan. Sector agencies´
capacity building training program. Responsible for introduction of key concepts and decisions
to sector advisors and key staff. City Planning Dept. & Mayor’s Office / Secretaría General Alcaldía Mayor de Bogota 2000-2001 and 2003-2005

Instructor. Capacity building for descentralized municipal planning: intramunicipal institutional
strengthening in Bogota´s 20 localities. Institutionalization strategy for the Bogotá
Comprehensive Plan. Secretaría General - Alcaldía Mayor de Bogota 2000-2001
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Lecturer and Professor – Urban Policy and Legislation in Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano. M.A
Urban Design Program - Bogota – Colombia 2004-2006 and Universidad del Norte,
Barranquilla M.A. Urban & Environmental Law- Colombia 2010.
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Instructor. Capacity building in territorial development and urban management for intermediate
cities. Territorial development and special programs - strategic public investment component.
CAF/ George Washington University/Universidad del Rosario cooperation 2011. Institutional
strengthening training program for descentralization for sector and planning local public
officials.
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Instructor. Capacity building for private investment in urban development. Bogotá Chamber of
Commerce training program in cooperation with Universidad del Rosario 2011. Directed to staff
responsible for strategic urban operations and public private partnerships.
PAR –09/ 2012
PATRICIA ACOSTA • ARCHITECT • URBAN PLANNER
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