Larissa Menescal

Larissa Menescal is an urban planner, architect, and public policy specialist with over 15 years of experience designing and scaling inclusive urban strategies across Latin America and internationally.

She currently works at IPPLAN, the city’s planning and research institute, where she focuses on participatory and inclusive planning rooted in sustainability, climate action, gender equity, and territorial data. Her professional experience spans urban legislation, city diplomacy, and long-term strategic planning, consistently driven by people-centered and data-informed approaches. As the former president of IPPLAN, she contributed to Fortaleza’s successful bid as a finalist to host the World Urban Forum and advanced integrated, evidence-based policies aimed at reducing urban inequalities. Menescal has a strong background in early childhood-centered urban initiatives through her active involvement in the Urban95 network. This includes completing the Urban95 Academy, engaging in peer exchanges with cities worldwide, and supporting projects such as Ruas de Brincar, Caminhos do Cuidado, and schoolyard naturalization in Fortaleza.

She has been deeply engaged in multi-level governance, serving as the director of InREDE, the Brazilian Network of Planning Institutes. Her international fieldwork includes poverty mapping and policy design in Bangladesh, as well as fellowships with programs such as IVLP – Sustainable Cities (U.S. Department of State), TU Berlin, ITDP, Cergy Pontoise Université, JICA, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Guided by the belief that cities designed with and for children are better for everyone, Menescal’s work continuously strives to foster more just, caring, and resilient urban environments.