Designer.
Urbanist.
Strategist.
Urban Imagination is the work of Francisca Benítez B., an urbanist and designer who works with cities and communities to turn complex urban challenges into creative, people-centered solutions.
Her practice blends strategic design, public space planning, and visual communication—shaped by over a decade of international experience in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the U.S. She’s led projects on child-friendly mobility, community engagement, and urban transformation with organizations like the Global Designing Cities Initiative (Streets for Kids), Kounkuey Design Initiative, and LISC.
Francisca is a founding member of PlacemakingX and holds degrees in Strategic Design (PUC Chile) and Urban Planning (NYU). Based in Madrid, working globally.
I'm passionate about cities because...they bring together complexity, creativity, and community—and offer endless chances to rethink how we move, connect, and belong.
My current favorite public space is…Calle de Fuencarral in Madrid. On weekends it transforms into a living room for the city—skaters, strollers, teenagers, dogs, grandmas, bubble artists, and live music bands all sharing the same stretch of pavement. It’s chaotic, joyful, and somehow it works.
The superpower people don’t expect from me is…I create automated spreadsheets that not only work like magic—but are also look beautiful even in Excel.
If I weren’t working in urbanism, I’d be…an astronaut. Seeing the world from a different perspective that has always inspired me.
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Cities Promoting Active and Inclusive Mobility
Global Mobility Call 2024
Urban95 Latam Regional Gathering
Global Designing Cities Initiative, Van Leer Foundation
From childhood needs to urban reality: Strategies to engage kids in urban design
London School of Economics, Global Designing Cities Initiative
IX Congress of Educating Cities Portugal
Educating Cities Network, Global Designing Cities Initiative
A bordo de los ‘bicibuses’:
Los pequeños madrileños pedalean en una ciudad hostil con los ciclistas
Diario El Pais, Global Designing Cities Initiative
The Quarantine Atlas: Mapping Global Life Under COVID-19
Bloomberg City Lab