Maria Derlõš

Maria Derlõš is a community activist in Lasnamäe, the largest housing estate in Estonia, a controversial heritage from Soviet Union where most of the population is Russian-speaking. She is the leader of Lasnaidee (the ideas for Lasnamäe), a non-profit organisation that unites local enthusiasts to develop their own neighbourhood through citizen participation.

She stands in community activism with one leg and is engaged in local policy and planning with the other. Maria is also a board member and project manager in Estonian Urban Lab (Linnalabor) where she deals with the popularisation of urban education, the promotion of citizen participation in urban planning, and the enhancement of inclusive city development.

Maria will tell the story of how to bring neighbourhoods together and share her experience in citizen involvement, community building and social inclusion.