Short presentation

Dr. Natalie Gulsrud is an Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Section for Landscape Architecture and Planning. She studies the governance of urban green infrastructure to advance sustainable and just pathways to climate resilience. This research engages social, ecological, and technological interactions in the “gray to green” infrastructure of cities from bicycle pathways to parks, trees, and community gardens. She publishes in scientific journals such as Landscape and Urban Planning, npj Urban Sustainability, People and Nature, and Urban Forestry and Urban Greening and is the co-author of the book "Street Fights in Copenhagen: Bicycle and Car Politics in a Green Mobility City" (Routledge, May 2019) and the forthcoming Handbook on Planning with Youth: Methods and Tools for Spatial Planning (Edward Elgar, 2025).  

Natalie co-leads the Urban Solutions to Green Transitions Living Lab at the University of Copenhagen, a consortium of over 15 public and private institutions and 20 cross-faculty researchers in generating and applying cutting edge and novel approaches to the most pressing challenges and opportunities in urban development to identify new multi-form partnerships to generate solutions. Other projects include WP leader in the FORMAS funded Planning with Youth: a tool and framework for engaging meaningful and forward-looking participation of youth in shaping attractive and sustainable living environments, WP leader in the Finish Academy funded Co-Carbon - Carbon Smart Urban Green Infrastructure, and WP leader in JPI Urban Europe funded Driving Urban Transitions: Green Storm- Design and deployment of stormwater nature-based solutions (NBSsw) for resilient and liveable cities She also teaches the masters-level course Strategic Planning for Urban Nature. 

Primary fields of research

Urban sustainability science, urban governance, Nature-Based Solutions, green infrastructure, environmental justice, care, transportation geography, AI Urbanism, social ecological technological systems, automation, political ecology

CV

Link to CV

Knowledge of languages

Fluent written and spoken English

Fluent spoken Danish 

Intermediate German

Teaching

Natalie teaches and manages the masters-level thematic course, Strategic Planning for Urban Nature at the University of Copenhagen

CV

Natalie Marie Gulsrud

Education

PhD Candidate

• June 2010 - August 2015
• University of Copenhagen
• Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
• Doctoral research on the governance of urban green space branding 

Scan Design Fellow                                                                                                                          

• August 2009 – January 2010
• University of Copenhagen Danish Center for Forest, Landscape, and Planning
• Focus on urban green space management and health design

Master in Public Administration and Public Policy                                                                                                         

• September 2007 – January 2010
• University of Washington
• Focus on urban transportation planning & policy

Fulbright Scholar                                        

• Septemberer 2003- July 2004
• University of Bielefeld, Germany
• Focus on cross-cultural approaches to climate change policy

Bachelor of Arts                                                                                                                                                 

• September 1999- May 2003
• Pacific Lutheran University
• English Literature, Environmental Studies, and Women’s Studies: Summa cum laude

Languages:

English, native speaker

Danish, fluent understanding, fluent speaking, fair writing (9,5 in Dansk prøve 3)

German, fluent understanding, fair speaking and writing

Swedish, fair understanding, beginner speaking and writing

Norwegian, fair understanding, beginner speaking and writing

Professional Experience

University of Copenhagen

• Researcher and Instructor    
• September 2010 - Current                                                                                              
• Coordinator and teacher of masters level course Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
• Teach approximately 30 students from over 10 nationalities
• Provide international and Scandinavian perspective on course topic
• Receive excellent student reviews 

Seattle Children’s, Seattle, Washington                                                                                         

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner, Transportation Department
• February 2010 – May 2010
• Led bicycle and pedestrian commuter program with a combined employee mode share of 12%
• Coordinated company bike program
• Developed bicycle and pedestrian alternatives for Seattle Children’s expansion plans
• Worked with community, city, and county leaders to develop regional bike sharing program

Gehl Architects, Copenhagen, Denmark                                                                                        

• Research Intern
• October 2009 – January 2010
• Researched and summarized various schools of bicycle and pedestrian methodology
• Created archive of Gehl publications

Seattle Children’s, Seattle, Washington                                                                                        

• Pedestrian and Outreach Lead, Transportation Department
• November 2008 – July 2009
• Led employee pedestrian commuter program with over 300 pedestrians and 5% mode share
• Developed Seattle Children’s and Neighborhoods Walking Map in partnership with Feet First
• Built external relations with pedestrian advocacy organizations
• Communicated directly with clinical staff to eliminate barriers to alternative commuting
• Co-facilitated Children’s commute trip reduction program with a 34% SOV rate

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Bicycle Commuter Specialist, Transportation Department                                   

• June 2007 – October 2008
• Co-led employee bicycle commuter program with over 400 cyclists and 6% mode share
• Co-developed mid-day mobility bike programs for Children’s employees with the goal of increasing bike mode share from 6% to 8% in two years
• Provided on-demand bicycle commute research and advice
• Developed external relations with bicycle advocacy organizations
• Co-facilitated Children’s commute trip reduction program with a 34% SOV rate

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington                                                

• Program Assistant, Public Health Sciences Division
• March 2005- June 2007
• Coordinated recruitment, screening, and data collection for 5 breast cancer prevention studies
• Recruited up to 800 participants for 3 breast cancer prevention studies: conducted telephone interviews with sensitive medical and personal information, interviewed study participants in clinic
• Generation of Funding

• Scan Design Fellowship, 2009
• US Department of State Fulbright Fellowship, 2003 to 2004
• National Science Foundation Summer Scholar Fellowship, 2002
• Pacific Lutheran University English Department Fellowship, 2002
• Morris K. Udall Scholar Fellowship, 2001 to 2002
• Pacific Lutheran President’s Scholarship, 1999 to 2003
• Congressional- Bundestag Scholarship, 1998 to 1999