What Ulrich did in the past


Cooperation, Strategies and Transition

for Cities, Governments and Non-governmental Organisations



Ulrich Graute

International Development and Governance


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    June 2025, Bonn, Germany:: Meeting of representatives of ICLEI, ISOCARP and other urban networks with the incoming Presidency of COP30 on Climate Change (in Nov 2025 in Belem, Brasil) on Climate Change

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    Contributing to the meeting of the Global Planning Network at the National Planning Conference in Denver, Colorado (USA), on 31 March 2025

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    2024 Organizing and Moderating a Special Session at the ISOCARP World Planning Congress in Siena, Italy

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    Keynote presentation at XIM University, Ohisa, India on 13 February 2025

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    2018 Speaker at the National Urban Policy Conference in May Pyi Taw, Myanmar

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    2015 with the Mayor of Berlin and UN Undersecretary General for UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya

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    Speaking at a Stakeholder Conference at the UN General Assembly in New York

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Summary CV of Ulrich Graute

Summary
Strategic advisor with over 30 years of experience in international affairs, specialising in urban development, governance, and sustainability. Extensive track record in leading high-impact projects for global organisations, including the United Nations, World Bank, and European Union. Expert in policy development, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration. Proven ability to drive complex initiatives in diverse cultural contexts, delivering tangible results.


Professional Experience
Principal Consultant | International Affairs Consultancy
Berlin, Germany | 2014 - Present

General Rapporteur, ISOCARP's 61st World Planning Congress, 1-4 December 2025, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Member of the Expert Evaluation Committee for the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025
Governance Advisor, SWECO International AB (2024 - Present): Regional planning project.
Consultant, UN-Habitat (2022 - May 2024): Leading the Institutional Team for the Saudi Arabia Quality of Life Initiative. Delivered transformative urban development training for Saudi urban planners.
Senior Consultant, World Bank Group (2014 - March 2024): Driving local governance and climate resilience projects in Jordan. 
Developed operational frameworks for UN strategies and National Urban Policies across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Consultant, City of Berlin (2014 - 2017): Advised on the UN Habitat III process, enhancing Berlin's global positioning in urban development networks.
Cities Alliance, Independent Technical Assessor and Evaluator (2015-Present)

Senior Advisor | United Nations DESA
New York, USA | 2008 - 2013

    Provided high-level advisory services across 22 countries, focusing on participative governance, national strategies, and sustainable development.
    Played a pivotal role in shaping the UN's Agenda 2030, contributing to the formulation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Programme Director | EU INTERREG Programmes
Dresden, Germany | 2002 - 2008

    Directed the Joint Technical Secretariat for transnational cooperation across 18 countries, overseeing a portfolio of territorial development projects.
    Facilitated international negotiations and secured significant EU funding for regional development initiatives.

Academic & Professional Engagements

    Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences, UK (2011 - Present)
    Chair, Scientific Committee, ISOCARP (2023 - 2025)
    Board Member, Regional Studies Association, UK (2010-2015)

Education

    Ph.D. in Philosophy, FernUniversität Hagen, Germany (2001)
    Thesis: Multi-level Co-operation in European Territorial Development
    M.A., Universities of Hamburg, Bochum, and Tübingen (1989)

Selected Publications

    Artificial Intelligence (AI): Urban and territorial development and the possible impact on the employment sector (2026!)
   State of the Yemeni Cities 2020, UN-Habitat (2022)
    International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning Handbook, UN-Habitat (2018)
    Saudi Cities Report 2019. Urban Development in Saudi Arabia, UN-Habitat (2019)
    Country Profile Belarus, UNECE, 2019

Languages

    German (Native)
    English (Fluent)
    French (Intermediate)
    Italian (fluent)
Professional Training

    World Bank Group: The Future of Work: Preparing for Disruption (2019) and three other trainings
    UN Management Development Programme (2011)


On Ulrich's Bio and Picture Gallery


Ulrich is an internationally esteemed Senior Advisor, Team Leader and Blogger

with a keen interest in sustainable development through national and international policies on integrated urban and regional development and capacity building. He is a social scientist by profession, program manager by experience and inspiring team leader with 30+ years of experience. Currently, one of his main assignments includes the function as Senior Institutions and Governance Expert on UN-Habitat's Quality of Life Initiative.

 

Ulrich successfully manages urban and regional development programs including multi-country and multi-annual programs with 1000+ partners and a budget of 250+ million €. His work is demand driven, tailor made and often covers all phases of the program and project lifecycle from visioning, diagnosis, goal setting and policy formulation to implementation, reporting, monitoring and review. 


In recent years Ulrich works as developer and reviewer of national and subnational policies and planning systems with a focus on their suitability to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement, New Urban Agenda, Leipzig Charter, European Urban Agenda and other internationally development agendas relevant for an enabling environment as needed for successful local and regional planning and goal achievement.

 

With 30+ years of experience Ulrich is more and more in demand as capacity developer, mentor and leadership advisor. For UN-Habitat Ulrich acted as the main author of the handbook on the ‘International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning’ as well as learning materials and was a trainer at a first five days transformative workshop for integrated and participatory planning. He is well familiar with peer-to-peer learning, leadership advisory, advocacy and author of the blog 'World and City' (ugraute.de/blog-1).

 

 

2022 Workshop trainer at World Urban Forum WUF11

At the 11th World Urban Forum in Kattowice, Poland in June 2022 Ulrich was one of the trainers of a wokrshop organized by ISOCARP

Meeting the Executive Director of UN-Habitat

Ulrich Graute with the Executive Director of UN-Habitat Mme Maymunah Mohd Sharif in Nairobi, January 2019

2019 National Assembly of Belarus

Chairpersons of Commisssions atending the workshop on 25 June 2019 in Minsk. 50 Deputies and representatives of local authorities participated at this UNDP organized workshop

UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya

The staff of UN-Habitat and the Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif in January 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya (©  UN-Habitat)

2018 UNDP workshop in Grodno, Belarus

On 1 June 2018 my presentation on national urban policies was followed by a three hours discussion with governmental representatives on itegrative and participative planning. 

2017 and 2018 Kabul: Ministry of Urban Development and Housing

UN-Habitat delegation meeting with HE S.Sadat Mansoor Naderi, Minister of Urban Development and Housing of Afghanistan

2018 Minister opens workshop in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

Consultation Workshop on 4 June 2018 on the National Urban Policy-Frameworked official photo with the mnister of Construction

2017 and 2018 UNECE and UN-Habitat delegation in Minsk

Discussing urban and territorial planning with Alexander Kruchanov, First Vice Minister of Architecture and Construction of Belarus

2015 Metropolis Initiative of the City of Berlin

Barbara Berninger and the Team of the Berlin Metropolis Initiative attending the Metropolis world conference in Hyderabad, India

2016 The UN Habitat Country Team in Saudi Arabia

Together with the Executive Director of UN Habitat and the Country Team in Saudi Arabia at the Saudi Urban Forum

2008-2013 UNDESA with UNDP Country Team in Chad

Capacity building with the UN Resident Coordinator Thomas Gurtner and the UNDP country team

2015 Buraydah Date Festival, Saudi Arabia

Field trip with partners of the Minstry of Urban and Rural Affairs (MoMRA) and the United Nations (U-Habitat), to review the system of regional planning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2015 United Nations General Assembly Hall

Invited by the UN Secretariat Ulrich spoke on behalf of the Regional Studies Association at the SDG Preparatory Forum for Major Groups, including Academia and other Civil Society in New York 2015.

2014 GIZ Eschborn, Germany

Meeting with GIZ staff for a presentation of the results of a study, which I had just finished on Local Agenda 21 initiatives and on the actor constellation at the beginning of the Habitat III process

AcSS workshop at Oxford University

At a discussion with Michael Vassiliadis, President IndustryAll, at a workshop of the Academy of Social Sciences organized by prof Ulrich Hilpert.

UN DESA 2008-2013 With Julius Muia (l.) and his Team preparing a Knewledge Management Workshop in Nairobi

Preparing a Knowledge Management Workshop with National Economic and Social Council NESC for African Economic and Social Councils UESC

UN DESA 2008-2013 Reviewing the observatory for sustainable human development in Bamako, Mali

Forward Looking Evaluation with the Team of the Observatoire du Développement Humain Durable et de la Lutte Contre la Pauvreté au Mali (ODHD/LCP)

2008-2013 UN DESA Division of Public Administration and Development Management

New Director Hayian Qian with members of the division. She passed away in 2013.

UN DESA 2008-2013 National and parliamentary development: Consultation with Members of Parliament in N'jamena, Chad

Steering group meeting in N'jamena to develop a capacity building project for the parliament of Chad

UN DESA 2008 - 2013 Knowledge management workshop with Economic and Social Councils from Benin, Senegal, Guinea and Kenia

Participants of African ESC and of the International Association of ESC AICESIS

UN DESA 2008-2013 Renforcement des Capacites des Structures Nationales dans la mise en reuvre des OMD

Wrap-up meeting with UN DESA field staff working at the premises of the Ministry of Economy and Planning in N'jamena, Chad

UN DESA 2008-2013 Perspectives for Saudi Arabian development beyond petrol

At a working meeting with the Chief Economist of the Ministry of the Economy and Planning in Riyadh

2007 and 2008 EU Programming Steering Group in Sinaia, Romania

Members of the Steering Group for the development of a new EU Community Initiative for Siuth Eastern Europe met regularly. Sinaia was one of the most important meetings discussing the draft programme.

2002 -2008 EU Community Initiative INTERREG III B CADSES

Director and staff members of the Joint Technical Secretariat in Dresden, Germany

My experience of the past as foundational element of my professional future

After 35 years of work a full CV can be boringly long. In my case it is five pages long. Instead, I want to inspire with two illustrations.


The purpose of the below compilations of logos and selected publications is to illustrate what are the main institutions that inspired me in the past as their student, volunteer, employer, client or partner.