MY STORY
Simeon Shtebunaev is an interdisciplinary researcher in the built environment. Their PhD
project at Birmingham City University explores how young people engage in the planning of
future ‘smart’ cities. The research aims to appraise the perceptions, engagement and level of
knowledge of young citizens towards ‘smart city’ developments in key urban areas in the
European context and evaluate how such perceptions hinder or enable cases of co-
production of urban spaces.
He was a principal investigator on the AHRC funded project “Are you game for climate
action?” developing the board game Climania with young people focusing on the role of the
built environment in climate change. He works at a researcher at Social Life, London;
Lecturer at Birmingham City University and is founder of Urban Imaginarium – a youth
engagement consultancy.
Simeon was selected as the RIBAJ Rising Star 2021 and RTPI Young Planner of the Year
2022, as well as Individual of the Year at the TET Inspire Future Generation Awards 2022.
He chairs the Cultural Infrastructure and Investment working group part of the WMCA
Cultural Leadership Board. Simeon served as a trustee of the RIBA (2016-2019) and as a
Vice-President for Students and Associates. He co-founded the RIBA Future Architects
initiative, the institute’s network supporting early career professionals. He also represented
young planners on the RTPI General Assembly (2018-2019) and sat on the planning
institute’s International Committee. He has been elected to be the RTPI Young Planners
trustee (2024-2026)
He has been an active Brilliant Club and RIBA Learning Ambassador delivering workshop
and courses in schools. Simeon was part of the Youth Steering Committee of the youth
organisation Beatfreeks in Birmingham. Simeon is an alumnus of the University of Sheffield
dual Architecture and Town Planning master’s degree. He co-founded and taught annually at
a summer school in architecture for secondary school children in Bulgaria (2016-2022).