Anne van Bergen

Areas of work: Healthy Cities, Climate Adaptation, Citizen Engagement

Office: Barcelona

Languages spoken: English, Dutch, Spanish, German

Education: MSc in Urbanism, MSc in Communication Design for Innovation, and BSc in Architecture.

Previous work experience: City Developer at Synchroon, TBI Holdings, Utrecht, The Netherlands (2020–2023). Synchroon is a renowned city developer with projects across major Dutch cities, known for conceptual, green, and innovative approaches to building livable cities. My work focused on low-carbon architecture, climate adaptation, and nature-based solutions, and I also served as an internal advisor on public participation and placemaking.

At the weekend: I’m doing any sports on the water: sailing, kitesurfing, and rowing. Or when there’s no wind, running, hiking, or cycling.

An idea that powers me: Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas – a proportion expected to rise to 68% by 2050. Housing all those people properly is a big challenge, but an even bigger one is how to manage it in such a way that the city stays liveable. As 75% of our health depends on the space and the environment in which we develop our lives, this is something that should have our full focus. After all, a healthy city is also a just city.