Meet The Project Team

Showcasing academic excellence and impactful research in architecture and urbanism.

Asist. Dr. Urb. GEAMBAZU Serin

Asist. Dr. Urb. GEAMBAZU Serin serves as an Assistant Professor (Asist. Dr.) with a specialized background as a Doctor of Urban Planning. She represents the Faculty of Urbanism (FU). Her core contributions to the team lie in Urban Planning and Territorial Development (Planificare Urbană și Dezvoltare Teritorială), bringing a vital macro-level, systemic perspective to the regional impact of the project.

Professional Experience

Asist. dr. urb. Serin Geambazu

Assistant Professor | Urban Planner | PhD in Urbanism

Serin Geambazu is an urban planner with a PhD in Urbanism and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Territorial Development (PUDT) at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism (UAUIM), Bucharest. Her academic and professional work connects urbanism, strategic planning, urban governance, and the study of megaproject-led development. Her research has focused particularly on Istanbul and the relationship between large-scale investment, planning processes, and metropolitan transformation.

Assistant Professor | Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism

Department of Urban Planning and Territorial Development (PUDT)

Contributes to university teaching and research in urban planning and territorial development. Her teaching experience includes involvement in the Mega Cities master’s programme and Realitatea Utopiei, alongside research on urban governance and large-scale urban development.

Co-Founder | AALAN STUDIO

Urban Planning, Architecture, and Consultancy

Co-founded AALAN STUDIO, a practice working in urban planning, architecture, and consultancy. Her professional activity includes urban-planning documentation; municipal records identify AALAN Urbanism și Arhitectură SRL, represented by Serin Geambazu, as the designer of a detailed urban plan (PUD) proposal.

Co-Founder and Brand Architect | NAYINO Resort Hotel & Restaurant

Mamaia Nord, Romania

Identified in her professional profile as co-founder and brand architect of NAYINO Resort Hotel & Restaurant, with involvement dating from 2017. This description reflects the documented role without implying a separately verified board appointment or responsibility for the resort’s architectural design and masterplan.

Project Manager and Strategic Planning Expert on Governance | URBASOFIA

July 2020–July 2021

Worked in project management and strategic planning, with a focus on governance. Her professional profile specifically identifies involvement in AGORA, an Interreg Danube project.

Senior Urban Designer | MDesign

November 2014–July 2020

Held a senior urban-design position at MDesign, contributing professional experience in urban design and planning practice.

Urban Planner | BIMTAŞ / Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

September 2013–November 2014

Worked in urban planning in Istanbul. Her professional profile records this role under Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and identifies BIMTAŞ in the position title

Education and Academic Research

PhD in Urbanism | Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism

Bucharest, Romania

Completed doctoral research on Istanbul’s megaproject-led development. UAUIM’s doctoral-defence listing identifies the research as “The new Istanbul: a system of megaprojects.” Her professional profile describes a focus on governance and planning processes, with co-supervision involving Istanbul Technical University.

Master’s Degree in Urban Management | Technische Universität Berlin

Berlin, Germany | 2012–2014

Completed postgraduate studies in Urban Management at Technische Universität Berlin. The degree and study period are recorded in her professional profile, while her personal portfolio also identifies her as a graduate of the university’s Urban Management programme.

Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning | Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism

Bucharest, Romania | 2008–2012

Completed undergraduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning at UAUIM, graduating in 2012.

Research and Publications | Istanbul, Megaprojects, and Urban Transformation

Her research examines metropolitan expansion, megaprojects, and the governance of large-scale urban change. Contributions concerning Istanbul appear in ISOCARP conference proceedings and UAUIM’s publishing catalogue.

Professional Qualifications and Affiliations

Serin Geambazu combines expertise in urbanism with professional engagement in judicial expertise, planning practice, and the development of the urban-planning profession.

Judicial Expertise and Planning Practice

An urban planner with a PhD in Urbanism, she identifies judicial expertise among her professional qualifications and reports signing accreditation through the Romanian Urbanists Register (RUR). Her work connects planning practice with the legal and regulatory dimensions of urban development.

Founding Member and Secretary General — EJURO

As a founding member and Secretary General of the Association of Judicial Experts in Urbanism and Spatial Planning in Romania, she contributes to the professional community working at the intersection of urban planning, spatial development, and judicial expertise.

Governing Board Member — APUR

She serves on the governing board of the Professional Association of Urbanists of Romania for the 2024–2028 term, contributing to the association’s professional activities and engagement with the urban-planning sector.

International Research and Professional Engagement

Her international engagement includes research contributions presented through ISOCARP, addressing Istanbul’s metropolitan expansion and megaproject-led urban transformation. Her professional profile also reports engagement with ISOCARP and AESOP.