Andrea Daniela Cobo Torrres

Since I was a child, cycling and bicycles have been my passion. I used to ride my bike with my family every Sunday. Nowadays, my bike provides me reliable daily transportation and keeps me healthy. My goal is to motivate more and more people to use active transportation modes to commute daily, not only because of its benefits for health but because we need to counteract climate change and reduce our emissions more than ever. I am a young architect, urban designer, and researcher, recently graduated magna cum laude from the Advanced Master of Human Settlements at KU Leuven. I am passionate about implementing innovative frameworks and methods to understand the urban environment and its influence on human behavior (and vice versa) to propose design strategies to achieve healthier, livable, and just cities. I am particularly interested in research and design within active mobility (cycling and walking), public and collective spaces, and technology and social integration. I have worked as a research assistant within LlactaLAB Sustainable Cities Research Group at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador. The group combines theoretical reflection with innovative methods to search for solutions to cities' significant challenges such as urban growth, climate change, and population health and well-being. I acquired the ability to apply qualitative and quantitative methodologies for spatial analysis to inform policies and design strategies to achieve healthier urban environments. For instance, I assessed school-children activity in school's-built environments applying a System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY) as part of a project to model the effect of individual and environmental factors on obesity and cardiometabolic risk in schoolchildren of Cuenca. In the last project I worked on, I assessed urban pedestrian environments using Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS) adapted to the Ecuadorian context, mapping tools, and semi-structured interviews to identify and design safe school routes and promote children's active transportation. I also worked as a junior urban planner in a consulting firm; we proposed mobility strategies for the Industrial Park of Cuenca. These strategies aimed to reduce the carbon footprint by transforming the industrial park users' daily mobility decisions and habits towards active and shared modes. A holistic understanding of mobility was required to ensure the physical and logistical conditions necessary to influence people's behavior. This position taught me the importance of proactivity and work planning. I collaborated in the urban environment analysis and design, contacted several stakeholders to gather information, coordinated activities with the team, and organized meetings with my team leader and the contractor to discuss design concepts. Both in the research group and industry, I learned the importance of teamwork and the potential of multi-discipline integration on a project. Being curious, proactive, responsible, and adaptive define me professionally. I am always ready to learn new skills and address new challenges. I am trustworthy, tolerant, and a considerate person with an empathetic attitude. Willing to get new experience and insights from inspiring minds while also contributing with my knowledge and skills, I look forward to my next professional step, and I would like to join a team working in the cycling sector. Sincerely, Daniela