Romanus Otieno Opiyo is the Programme Leader for Sustainable Urbanisation at SEI Africa. His area of expertise is urban sustainability and holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi, Kenya where he has also gained 14 years academic experience covering research, lecturing and student supervision (Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels).
His area of research interest includes: transportation and mobility, sustainable environment, urban security and safety, governance and participatory frameworks, smart cities and spaces, land use planning and climate change. Romanus has also collaborated with various African and European universities and scholars working in both urban and planning oriented topics.
Romanus has researched, collaborated and consulted with and for a number of Kenyan Government Ministries, UN and other local and international agencies, notably: UNEP, UN-HABITAT, UNDP, UNCRD, World Bank, UK Department For International Development (DFID), international Development Research Centre (IDRC) as well as national and international NGOs and CBOs. For these he has undertaken commissioned research, evaluations, project development and facilitation of processes.
He has published in the area of urban and rural transport, smart cities, citizens’ participation, urban security and informal sector planning and has presented in various conferences both nationally and internationally including making presentations at the prestigious in the 5th World Urban Forum (WUF) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2010.