Urban Transformation
5 lessons for community-focused planning during a pandemic
The disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rethink on the methods and tools to best engage local communities in the planning process.
Abel Feleke
Abel is an international expert in design and urban development, working to support positive outcomes in the built environment. Educated at the University of Oxford, Feleke is recognised as an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism (UK), Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (UK), and World Economic Forum Global Shaper Alumni. He has served as an Advisor to the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat and as Senior Design Advisor (Design Excellence) to the New South Wales Government in Australia.
With a strong interest in the future of cities, Feleke has delivered significant projects in architecture, large-scale infrastructure, master planning and sustainable urban developments projected to impact the lives of more than 285,000 people across a cumulative area in excess of 2,200 square kilometres. In 2022, he founded Habitat Unit, an independent consultancy working at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, climate adaptation, and sustainable urban development, with its honorary base at Kellogg College, University of Oxford.
In 2025, Feleke was recognised as a Finalist (Co-Designer) for the Grenfell Tower Memorial. “Serving as a Co-Designer on our proposal for the Grenfell Tower Memorial is a continuation of my belief that design is also a civic responsibility,” Feleke said, reflecting on the shortlisted proposal.
He is also a former recipient of the 10th Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Norman Foster Travelling Award, granted in support of his early research on architecture, sustainability and urbanism.
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