Dr Adriana Portella has over two decades of professional research experience, with a strong track record in coordinating international projects, academic administration, and university-level teaching. She has led research funded by prominent international and national agencies, including the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Brazilian federal bodies such as CAPES, CNPq, and FAPERGS.

Dr Adriana Portella is currently the Principal Investigator of the British Academy-funded project Amazon Indigenous Windows, a collaborative initiative between Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom and the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) in Brazil. This interdisciplinary project brings together academic and Indigenous knowledge to explore environmental and cultural sustainability in the Amazon region, with a focus on decolonial methodologies and community-led research.

From 2016 to 2019, she served as the Brazilian Coordinator for the ESRC-funded project Place-Making with Older People: Towards Age-Friendly Communities (£808,289), a collaborative initiative between Brazil and the United Kingdom. In this role, she led a research team of 43 members in Brazil. Between 2018 and 2022, she was also a researcher on another ESRC-funded project, Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, in partnership with the UK and India (£404,827).

From 2019 to 2023, Dr Portella coordinated the CAPES-PRINT-funded Brazilian project Centre for Studies on Healthy Cities, Ageing and Citizenship at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), involving international collaboration with institutions in the UK, Argentina, Chile, and France.

Her interdisciplinary research spans urban design, urban planning, architecture, environmental psychology, and health geography. She investigates themes such as climate justice, social inequalities, health and well-being, global ageing, sense of place, resilience, and heritage. Her work is grounded in participatory methodologies, engaging communities as co-researchers. She has developed and applied innovative qualitative methods, including photo diaries and participatory mapping, and also conducts quantitative research using non-parametric statistical analysis.

Dr Portella has worked extensively with vulnerable populations, including residents of favelas and gentrifying neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, she was invited to present her research The Olympic Legacy of Rio 2016: A City for Whom? at the United Nations in Geneva. She is committed to knowledge mobilisation and public engagement, translating research findings into public policy and working closely with community organisations, government bodies, and other stakeholders to maximise impact.

Dr Portella holds a PhD in Urban Design (2007) from Oxford Brookes University and a postdoctoral qualification in Urban Planning (2008) from The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. Since August 2008, she has held a permanent post as Associate Professor (Level 4) at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, UFPel. She served as Head of the Department (2016–2020) and as Coordinator of the Master’s Programme in Architecture and Urbanism (2009–2013). She also founded and coordinated the Laboratory of Behavioural Studies (LabCom) at UFPel from 2016 to 2023, where she now continues as a Research Fellow and International Coordinator. Dr Portella is also a professor of the Post-Graduate Programme in Architecture and Urbanism (PROGRAU) of the Federal University of Pelotas.

Dr Portella is the author of five international books: From the Amazon to the World: Confronting Climate Change Together; Visual Pollution: Advertising, Signage and Environmental Quality; Insights on Favelas; Place-Making with Older Adults: Towards Age-Friendly Cities and Communities; and Ageing in Place. She has maintained strong academic ties with the UK since 2003, particularly in the field of global ageing. In 2022, she was a Visiting Professor at the Urban Institute, Heriot-Watt University, supported by a CNPq scholarship. In addition to her roles at UFPel and LabCom, she continues to collaborate with the Research Centre of Urban Studies at Heriot-Watt University, developing research and teaching activities in the area of climate change, climate justice and Indigenous knowledge.

My research sits at the intersection of human geography, urban design and environmental psychology, with a sustained focus on people–environment relations, participatory urbanism and healthy cities in the Global South. I investigate how vulnerable and Indigenous communities experience, negotiate and defend their territories in contexts shaped by climate change, recurrent flooding, gentrification and structural social inequalities. A central strand of my work examines ageing in place and age-friendly environments, analysing how urban design, housing precarity and neighbourhood transformation influence wellbeing across the life course. I also engage with communities exposed to environmental risk and displacement pressures, integrating participatory and decolonial methodologies to ensure that community-based knowledge informs debates on climate justice, territorial rights and environmental governance.

Since 1996, my research has advanced a Global South–focused agenda grounded in long-term participatory engagement with vulnerable communities, Brazilian favelas, Indigenous communities in the Amazon and territories in Patagonia. This work is characterised by a strong commitment to policy-oriented dissemination and knowledge translation, exemplified by publications such as From the Amazon to the World (ISBN 978-1-9162129-2-3), presented at the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (Belém); the bilingual Insights on Favelas (ISBN 9788551700150), presented at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva; the PlaceAge book (ISBN 978-85-517-0048-8); the PlaceAge Report Series (ISBN 2674-9076); and PlaceAge Newsletters, Volumes 1 and 2 (ISSN 2595-5315). These outputs translate empirical evidence into accessible and actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners, converting research data into tangible policy impact while amplifying marginalised voices. Across my portfolio, I address socially significant themes including climate justice, urban inequality and participatory planning, publishing in academic journals and presenting at conferences widely recognised within Global South contexts. Many of these outputs are indexed in evaluation frameworks such as Plataforma Sucupira and the CAPES Qualis Periodicals System (Brazil), reinforcing their scholarly standing, regional relevance and contribution to policy development and social transformation across Global South settings.

Google Scholar Adriana Portella citations.

Dr Adriana Portella is a Brazilian urban scholar and human geographer whose work bridges climate justice, urban inequality and territorial rights across the Global South. With over two decades of academic experience in Brazil and the United Kingdom, she is internationally recognised for participatory, field-based research conducted with vulnerable and Indigenous communities in the Amazon Rainforest, Brazilian favelas, and the Patagonian desert.

Her research focuses on people–environment relations, healthy cities, ageing in place and the lived impacts of climate change, flooding, gentrification and social inequality. She is Principal Investigator of the British Academy–funded project Amazon Indigenous Wisdom: Shaping Climate Solutions in Brazil, which explores how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform global climate governance. Her work has been presented at the United Nations, the British Academy and COP30, contributing Global South perspectives to international policy debates.

Dr Portella’s scholarship combines urban design, human geography and environmental psychology with participatory methodologies, including social cartography, immersive fieldwork and collaborative exhibitions. Her research has influenced public policy in Brazil, contributed to international academic networks and generated wide public engagement through exhibitions, keynote lectures and an upcoming documentary on climate change in the Amazon. She is committed to advancing socially just, inclusive and evidence-based approaches to environmental governance, ensuring that marginalised communities are central to conversations about urban futures and global climate solutions.

Google Scholar Citations: Adriana Portella

• Climate justice

• Global South urbanism

• Indigenous knowledge systems

• Amazon Rainforest research

• People–environment relations

• Participatory urbanism

• Decolonial methodologies

• Territorial rights and governance

• Healthy cities

• Ageing in place

• Age-friendly environments

• Urban inequality

• Gentrification and displacement

• Flood risk and environmental vulnerability

• Informal settlements (favelas)

• Community-engaged research

• Social cartography and participatory mapping

• Climate governance

• Environmental psychology

• Urban resilience and adaptation

• Policy engagement and knowledge translation

• Global South–North collaboration

Principal Investigator (Heriot-Watt University, HW/ Federal University of Pelotas, UFPel):

British Academy ISPF ODA Challenge-Oriented Research Grant. Amazon Indigenous Wisdom: Shaping Climate Solutions in Brazil
Heriot-Watt University (HW)/ Federal University of Pelotas - Programme of Postgraduation in Architecture and Urbanism - PROGRAU/ UFPel (2024–ongoing). Leads Indigenous-led participatory climate justice research in the Brazilian Amazon, with policy and public engagement components.

Publications, Outputs and Public Engagement.

Principal Investigator & Director (Federal University of Pelotas, UFPel):

CAPES-PRINT Internationalisation Grant – Centre for Studies on Healthy Cities. Federal University of Pelotas/ UFPel (2019–2023). Directed the Centre for Studies on Healthy Cities, part of the large-scale institutional research project involving Brazil, the UK, Argentina, Chile, and France.

Brazilian Co-Principal Investigator (Heriot-Watt University, HW/ Federal University of Pelotas, UFPel):

ESRC – Place-Making with Older People: Towards Age-Friendly Communities - PlaceAge. (2016–2019). Led Brazilian research team (43 researchers) in a UK–Brazil collaboration on ageing, place and wellbeing.

ESRC – Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. (2018–2020). Brazilian research partner in UK–Brazil–India collaboration on age-friendly cities.

Publications aimed at policymakers and broader public audiences.

Principal Investigator (Federal University of Pelotas, UFPel):

CNPq Research Grant – The Olympic Legacy of Rio 2016: A City for Whom? (2014–2016). Participatory research on displacement and urban inequality linked to the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.

CAPES Research Grant – Insights on Favelas. (2013–2018). Research on informal settlements in Rio de Janeiro, resulting in the bilingual edited book Olhares da Favela / Insights on Favela.

Heriot-Watt University (UK):

At Heriot-Watt University, I combine research leadership, teaching innovation and academic coordination. I am Principal Investigator of the British Academy–funded project Amazon Indigenous Wisdom: Shaping Climate Solutions in Brazil, leading international collaboration, immersive field research and policy engagement. I coordinate Year 1 Geography, with responsibility for student progression and academic support. My role includes teaching, PhD and master's supervision, grant development, research dissemination, and active participation in research centres and seminar series. I also represent the University in international academic and policy forums, strengthening Global South–North partnerships and enhancing institutional visibility.

Coordinator of The Institute for Place, Environment and Society (PES) Seminar Series. Heriot-Watt University (2023–ongoing): The most recent seminar took place on 11 February 2026 and featured Professor Cliff Hague (Emeritus Professor of Planning and Spatial Development, HW). Previous invited speakers have included Professor Judith Sixsmith (19/11/25, Dundee University), Dr Felipe Tuxa (28/04/25, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil), Dr Iftekhar Ahmed (30/10/2024, The University of Newcastle, Australia), Professor Matthew Carmona (28/02/24, University College London), Professor David Canter (22/11/23, University of Liverpool), and Professor Ricardo García Mira (11/10/23, A Coruna University, Spain), contributing to the strengthening of the School’s research culture, international profile and international interdisciplinary engagement.

PROGRAU – Postgraduate Programme in Architecture and Urbanism at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Brazil:

At PROGRAU, I hold a permanent position within the Postgraduate Programme in Architecture and Urbanism (PROGRAU), contributing to the Research Axis - City & Society. I collaborate with postgraduate modules and supervise MPhil’s and PhD candidates. I previously served as Head of PROGRAU (2008-2013), overseeing academic governance, curriculum coordination, staff leadership and research strategy. In addition, I founded the Behaviour Studies Laboratory (LabCom) in 2016 and, since 2023, have served as its International Coordinator, strengthening global research collaborations and partnerships. I also directed the CAPES-PRINT Centre for Studies on Healthy Cities, leading an international cooperation across Brazil, the UK and Latin America (2019-2023). My responsibilities within PROGRAU span research leadership, postgraduate supervision, internationalisation strategy, funding acquisition and research international development.

Heriot-Watt University (HW), Research Centre for Urban Studies (RCUS), Institute for Place, Environment and Society (PES). (2023–ongoing).

Ageing Research Network (wattAGE), Heriot-Watt University (HW). (2024–ongoing).

Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Laboratory of Behavioural Studies (LabCom), Brazil. (2016-ongoing).

Postgraduate Programme in Architecture and Urbanism (PROGRAU), Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Research Group City & Society, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. (2008-ongoing).

International Association for People-Environment Studies (IAPS). Elected Board Member (2016–2024); the Environment and Gerontology Network Leader (2016–ongoing).

PlaceAge Research Group – Brazil. Brazilian Co-Principal Investigator (2016–2020).

Amazon Indigenous Wisdom Research Group – Brazil. Principal Investigator (2024–ongoing).