Rafael Cuesta started his career in Colombia in environmental protection including working as an Environmental Consultant in the development of the Medellin Metro, Colombia. Since relocating to the UK, Rafael has worked on the NET tram development at Nottingham City Council and in other public transport operational and policy roles at Birmingham City Council, Transport for the West Midlands and most recently at Transport for Greater Manchester as head of innovation. Rafael has a wide range of experience in the transport and intelligent mobility field and significant expertise in the development of mobility as a service.
He also advises cities and European networks on sustainable mobility. Rafael is currently Vice-Chairman of the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) representing cities and regions on behalf of POLIS. He is also UITP Ambassador and an active member of the UITP Combined Mobility Commission. He is currently leading the establishment of a global Autonomous Vehicle Observatory as part of the UITP SPACe project. Rafael holds a Master in Environmental Planning from the University of Nottingham and a Master in Project Management from the College of Estate Management at Reading University. He is a regular contributor to articles and co-Author of the book ‘Urban Design: Methods and Techniques’ published by Butterworth Heinemann Architectural Press. He regularly moderates round tables at conferences and other high-level policy events.
