About me
My name is Lisbeth Iversen. I am married and have 4 children and 4 grandchildren. We have been living abroad in Belgium, New Dehli in India and Dallas,Texas. I am now living in Arendal, in the South of Norway, with my husband, and he is also my very best friend!
Climate change, democracy, human rights, equity, and co-creation for change, and placemaking- and urban development, are just a few of the areas I have taken interest in. I started out with studies in interior design and architecture, and further studies to get a Cand.Mag degree in the fields of history of art and architecture, architectural and building conservation, ethnology, cultural heritage and dissemination ( UiB). Then I took a Master in regions and regionalization processes at the UiB (MA), and a Master of Management, (MM) at BI, Oslo in the fields of strategic leadership, economy and leadership, and consulting, with my final MM thesis with the subject; International politics in the field of climate and environment, and challenges with implementation at local level. Later I took a partial Master of Management at Lillehammer University College with the subject Norwegian Municipal Sector and the EU/EØS.
Former work experience:
Work in Bergen
In 2003 I was elected into politics as a Commissioner in Bergen (2003-2013). The first 8 years I was the commissioner of urban development, climate and environment. Before that I was running my own company as an interior designer and architect.
Work in Arendal
In 2013 I was engaged to lead the building up of a network called With a Heart For Arendal, and appointed as leader from the 1.st of January 2017; working through local mobilization and participation to develop a sustainable welfare and development model based on co-creation, together with other actors in the municipality, civil society and the research-field.
I also have been working with the national pilot project Sparkling Spaces/ “Levende lokaler” initiated by DOGA, as a leader the pilot in Arendal “Levende Lokaler-Arendal” in 2017 and 2018.
Public Sector PhD
In September 2017 I started my Public Sector PhD-project in collaboration with Oslo School of Architecture & Design (AHO) as the graduating institution, NIBR/OsloMet co-supervising, and Arendal municipality. ( 75%, over 4 years from 2017-2021)
Other research
Adjunct position/ Current part-time research-work: I hold an adjunct position at NERSC, in Bergen with expertise on the Socio-Economic / community approach within climate research. I have contributed in the HIARC-project and I am now a contributor in the INTAROS project( H2020), co-leading INTAROS WP4: Community-based monitoring, where I am responsible for the ongoing case study in Longyerbyen, Svalbard. I am also part of the UAK project, Useful Arctic Knowledge – Partnership for Research and Education funded by the INTPART program. I addition I participate with UIB, in the CoCliServ Project. Citizens Science. www.uib.no/svt/106985/co-cli-serv
For more information about me and my work, please visit:
Member of Netwoks:
Member of the Place Making Leadership Counsil,/ PPS ,International expert network for city development, focusing on the development and management of city centers, public places and markets, in a participatory approach) http://www.pps.org/, and Future of Places Network. http://futureofplaces.com/, and Placemaking in the Nordics.
Present Board positions:
Leader of the Board of the Foundation “ A Helping hand trust , first Norwegian Seamen Church in Leith”, Edinburgh.” www.leithseamenschurch.no
NSU, Member of the board of “Norsk Sentrumsutvikling”, ( Norwegian City center Development). From the 24.th of February 2015 – ongoing. www.norsk-sentrumsutvikling.no