WASHINGTON (November 16, 2022) — WRI is pleased to announce that Rogier van den Berg has been selected to become the next Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, WRI’s program focused on creating more resilient, inclusive and low-carbon cities.

“I am delighted that Rogier will head our cities program,” said Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, World Resources Institute. “Rogier has been a leader in cities and urban design for his entire career. He brings tremendous experience, credibility and leadership to the role. Rogier has a clear vision to continue elevating our work in cities at this critical moment and the passionate energy to deliver it.”

Van den Berg is an urban planning and development expert, an architect and academic with more than two decades of experience. He has been serving as Acting Global Director since July 2021, working with a transition team of senior directors to coordinate and guide key decisions. He joined WRI Ross Center as Director for Urban Development in January 2020, focusing on global programming for urban land use, climate change adaptation, equitable development, urban data analytics and more.

"I look forward to combining research and action in cities to improve people's lives and combat the climate crisis through transformative change," said Van den Berg. "Working alongside the talented WRI Ross Center team and our partners, I am committed to ensuring that cities become equitable, resilient and low-carbon."

Van den Berg will lead a global team of 400 experts in urban planning, mobility, energy efficiency, resilience, water management and more. Through innovative research, deep engagement with urban leaders, and global partnerships, WRI Ross Center’s network of local and international experts puts cities on a trajectory toward more sustainable and equitable development. Staff are based in offices in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, Turkey, Europe and the United States.

“Rogier has already had a huge impact on WRI’s cities work in a short time,” said Adriana Lobo, Managing Director for Global Presence and National Action. “He has led the program globally with great success by bringing new projects, developing new areas of work, such as urban water resilience, and deepening our work in Africa. He has already worked in many of the countries where WRI is based so he really understands very deeply how to make change happen at the local and national level.”

Prior to joining WRI, van den Berg led UN-Habitat’s Urban Lab program, which rapidly expanded its scope to become a multidisciplinary urban project and integrated planning facility working in 80 cities globally. He was a founding partner of the architecture and urban planning firm Zandbelt & VandenBerg and also served as head of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture’s Master of Urbanism program.

Van den Berg holds an Executive Master’s Degree in International Negotiation and Policymaking from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and a Master of Science in Architecture from Delft University of Technology.

About World Resources Institute
World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with international offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, regional offices in Ethiopia (for Africa) and the Netherlands (for Europe), and program offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Our more than 1,700 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. More information at www.wri.org or on Twitter @WorldResources.


About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. It enables more connected, compact and coordinated cities. The Center expands the transport and urban development expertise of the EMBARQ network to catalyze innovative solutions in other sectors, including air quality, water, buildings, land use and energy. It combines the research excellence of WRI with two decades of on-the-ground impact through a network of more than 400 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Turkey and the United States to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at www.wrirosscities.org or on Twitter @WRIRossCities.