Our People
How do you regenerate a town center?
Meet Priscila Mauro, a Rio-born architect and urban designer who blends design craft with delivery thinking — so places don’t just look better, they work better.
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"It starts with one simple question: What makes this place this place?
Before I talk about new infrastructure or shiny assets, I want to understand the town’s identity: its history, people and pride. When places are struggling, it’s easy to forget they’ve been vibrant before. But there’s always something worth celebrating — local artists, a craft tradition, a regional industry, a story people can rally around. When those elements are embraced, the project gains warmth, meaning and character.
Then I look at how we bring life back. Not just for a quick visit, but so people want to stay longer. You need activity on the street at different times of day: a daytime economy and a nighttime economy."
“Regeneration is rebuilding the conditions for everyday life to thrive.”
Priscila Mauro
"Providing upskilling opportunities for the community is a critical part of that, especially in towns that have gone through industrial change. In Hartlepool, England, we backed an engineering academy, provided training for carers and explored ideas like building a production village to offer vital pre- and post-production support for film and television media. It means students and local people can build careers without leaving town.
Safety matters, too. Empty properties and silent streets invite anti-social behavior. Well-lit, well-maintained public spaces provide a space for activities, plus there are opportunities for temporary uses like popup events, clubs or festivals. You still need the basics: transport connections, active travel links and a digital backbone that encourages influence businesses to invest. Even something as simple as better wayfinding, like QR codes that help people discover what’s around them, can combine physical and digital assets to build a richer experience.
It’s important to learn from cities like Barcelona, where the 1992 Summer Games reshaped the city for generations and redefined its global identity. Or Copenhagen, where architecture and urban design are treated as ongoing experiments, and the city is alive in every season. However, every project must be designed with a place-based approach — meaning it’s co‑designed with communities considering what the specific place needs.
I often feel like a therapist: Tell me your problems, then we’ll build the right solution — one that’s inspiring, resilient and deliverable."
Get to know Priscila
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19
years of experience working in architecture and urban design
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5
games developed to support collaboration and stakeholder engagement
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$ 55 m
funds secured to support the regeneration of Hartlepool
Design doesn't start on a page — it starts with people
Ask Priscila what she loves most about her work, and she doesn’t talk about buildings or plans.
“I love working with people,” she says — and she means it.
Priscila grew up in Rio de Janeiro, where street life and public space aren’t abstract ideas — they're connected and complementary. Today, she brings that instinct for human experience to Jacobs, leading a talented team of urban designers, planners and architects. Priscila draws on 19 years of international practice, nine of which have been in the U.K., to shape places at every scale, from streetscapes to regional strategies.
Architecture trained her to care deeply about details and how places feel and function. Urban design scaled up that thinking, translating community needs into design solutions that improve quality of life. The reward of this integration? Outcomes that deliver benefits beyond boundary lines.
Her favorite projects have one thing in common: They catalyze citywide change
Priscila is most proud of placemaking becoming an engine for delivering wider economic, social and environmental value — from town center regeneration to mass-transit-enabled growth strategies and place-based infrastructure. Hartlepool Towns Fund and Greater Manchester Integrated Water Management Plan are two urban role models in England linking place-based strategy with real-world delivery. What makes it worth it, she says, is watching a clear spatial vision — backed by collaboration and innovative and interactive stakeholder engagement (including tactics like gamification) — unlock investment, move a project from strategy to delivery and create community benefits in streets and public life.
