Urban Dialogues
Urban Dialogues, founded by Mariada Stamouli and Elena Stamouli, is a think tank platform focused on how urban and rural environments are shaped - through design, policy, and collective decision-making.
We approach legislation and policy as active frameworks that influence everyday life and spatial experience. Rather than fixed rules, we see them as tools that can be reworked to support more just, inclusive, and resilient environments. Accessibility and inclusivity are central to this approach, understood as essential conditions for sustainable and meaningful public space.
Operating at the intersection of design, governance, and participation, Urban Dialogues supports public institutions, cultural actors, and local communities in shaping spatial strategies that respond to diverse bodies, abilities, cultures, and lived experiences. Through research, dialogue, and design, we translate policy and social priorities into clear and actionable spatial frameworks.
Our work is grounded in listening. We use design, participation, and legislation to contribute to the creation of vibrant, accessible, and culturally responsive places.
What We Do
Urban Dialogues offers research, advisory, and design services, including:
Research and strategic analysis on urban and territorial policy
Masterplan design and spatial frameworks at urban and regional scales
Institutional and spatial mapping of governance structures, public space, and accessibility conditions
Spatial audits of public spaces and buildings
Design concepts for public, cultural, and civic environments
Accessibility and inclusion consulting within planning and design processes
Facilitation of dialogue, workshops, and participatory processes
We work across disciplines to connect policy, regulation, and design—supporting projects that aim for long-term public value.
ABOUT US
Mariada Stamouli
Mariada is a trained architect with a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Sustainable Urban Planning & Design from KTH, bringing over eight years of professional experience focusing on legislation matters in the local context.
Her work has primarily been with architecture firms in Stockholm, Sweden such as Mandaworks and Kjellander+ Sjöberg, where she has contributed to international projects. Among the most notable are the Meridian Water Masterplan and the Hartree project in UK.
Skilled in leading multi-stakeholder projects, facilitating community engagement and crafting policy frameworks and design guidelines. Driven by a commitment to equity and resilience, I always aspire to create impactful urban solutions that address contemporary challenges.
Elena Stamouli
Elena is a trained architect / urbanist from Greece with a Master’s degree in Urbanism from KTH. The focus of her academic studies was research and experimentation within different working scales.
Elena was working for almost ten years in different architecture firms in Sweden, such as Nivå, Tovatt and SWECO, where she has been part of design teams working on public projects for different swedish cities and on various projects including the masterplan for Finnslätten in Västerås and the revitalization of Slakthusområdet in Göteborg.
Her design approach is to form strategies with respect to social, cultural and environmental context. Elena’s double proffessional role, alongside her passion for academic research, enables a holistic approach in every urban project she undertakes.
