Faraz is Head of the Green Economies and Infrastructure Portfolio with over 10 years’ experience focusing on the role of planning, community engagement, and technology in creating more inclusive and resilient cities.
Faraz brings social development expertise, stakeholder management, strategy development, programme design, and research to support built environment and infrastructure programmes to be more inclusive.
With SDDirect, Faraz has helped the European Investment Bank to develop its social sustainability and inclusion approach in investments, as well as producing guidance on enhancing impact on gender equality through the Bank’s urban and digital investments. Faraz worked on FCDO’s flagship infrastructure programme - the Infrastructure and Cities for Economic Development (ICED) Facility - as a knowledge and learning adviser and urban specialist. Faraz has also worked on gender, social and digital inclusion issues such as economic corridor development in Pakistan, and the role of Smart Cities in the Global South. Faraz has in-country research and programme development experience in both Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Faraz’s previous experience includes working a as a community engagement specialist for Social Life Ltd, a consultancy promoting the role of communities in placemaking. His work revolved around engaging socially diverse communities and representing their needs in plans for new developments and urban renewal projects across the UK.
Faraz is also interested in the role of technology in facilitating social impact. He has led on projects using big data to map resilience and wellbeing in UK cities, aimed at informing better decision-making around local communities.
Faraz holds a Masters in Urban Development Planning from UCL’s Development Planning Unit. He also speaks fluent Urdu and enjoys photography and international cinema.
