About
Who We Are
Faith for Cities is a dynamic initiative focused on empowering cities to harness the positive influence of faith communities in addressing urban challenges.
By fostering collaboration between religious institutions, governments, and civil society, Faith for Cities promotes just and ecologically sustainable development, resilience, and social cohesion. Our approach is rooted in covenantal pluralism, encouraging diverse faith groups to work together while maintaining their unique identities. We provide tools, strategies, and partnerships that enable cities to effectively engage with faith-based organizations for transformative urban development. Together, we create solutions that benefit all residents, shaping vibrant, equitable cities now and for future generations.
Faith for Cities was born in 2023 through a Templeton Religion Trust (TRT) planning grant. The grant's stakeholder engagement process galvanized a multi-faith network of urban focused organizations.
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Review the TRT planning grant at this link.​
Dr. Chris Elisara
Executive Director, Faith for Cities
Dr. Chris Elisara is an internationally recognized urbanist, filmmaker, and placemaking leader whose work sits at the intersection of city design, sustainability, and faith-based civic engagement. He is widely known for advancing place-centered models of urban development that promote human flourishing, social cohesion, and long-term resilience.
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Dr. Elisara currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Development at Thriving Cities Group and as Executive Director of Faith for Cities, where he leads cross-sector initiatives that connect local action with global urban agendas. His work focuses on helping cities, institutions, and faith communities translate shared values into practical, place-based strategies that strengthen neighborhoods and civic life.
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A longtime advocate for people-centered urbanism, Dr. Elisara has played a formative role in the contemporary placemaking movement. He served on the board of the Congress for the New Urbanism (2016–2018) and co-founded the CNU Christian Caucus, helping bridge New Urbanist design principles with theological and ethical perspectives on place, community, and the common good.
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Internationally, Dr. Elisara has held leadership roles with UN-Habitat, including work with the World Urban Campaign and as Chair of the SDG Cities Task Force. He currently serves on the Grassroots and Civil Society Working Group responsible for co-designing World Urban Forum 13 roundtables, the Call to Action, and other core program elements. His scholarship and practice also extend into higher education: as a Senior Fellow at Duke Divinity School’s Ormond Center (2020–2023), he founded the Studio for Placemaking to explore how faith traditions can contribute constructively to urban design and public life.
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As Special Envoy for Environment, Climate, and Cities and Director of the WEA Sustainability Center, Dr. Elisara represents the perspectives of a global evangelical constituency—numbering more than 600 million people—across international forums including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN climate processes, and UN-Habitat. He is widely respected for building unlikely collaborations that align moral vision, technical expertise, and practical action.
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Dr. Elisara is also a leading storyteller in the urban transformation space. He co-founded First+Main Films and the Better Cities Film Festival, using film and narrative to illuminate how cities change—and how communities can shape that change with intention and hope.
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Across policy, practice, education, and media, Dr. Elisara’s work is unified by a single conviction: cities thrive when they are designed not only for efficiency and growth, but for dignity, belonging, and the full flourishing of people and place.
The Faith for Cities Delivery Team
Thriving Cities Group (TCG)
TCG uses a multi-disciplinary approach that brings together decades of research, training, community organizing and technology.
Synergine Group Limited
Synergine enables and curates transformative solutions for organisations, communities and cities.
Relight
Relight is the communication and collaboration hub within the Faith for Cities initiative. It’s where ideas, insights, and innovations converge, and multi-faith stakeholders find a common ground. Relight is not just a technology platform; it’s a space where dialogues are transformed into actionable insights, and collaborative efforts yield sustainable urban development solutions. In the complex landscape of urban development, Relight stands as a beacon of innovation, collaboration, and sustainable progress
Steve Chiu
Tzu Chi (Buddhist)
As a representative at the UN for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Steve Chiu combines disaster relief with sustainable development. He emphasizes the power of grassroots action in shaping global policy, illustrating how local efforts can lead to significant international impact. His work highlights the Buddhist principles of compassion and service in addressing global challenges.
Kamran Shezad
Bahu Trust (Muslim)
Kamran Shezad is an environmental sustainability expert whose work spans advocacy, education, and mobilization within Islamic communities in the UK and Africa. Affiliated with the Bahu Trust, he contributes significantly to eco-conscious initiatives and interfaith collaborations. Kamran focuses on integrating Islamic teachings with environmental action to promote sustainability and social responsibility.
Advisory Committee
Nadia Mian, Ph.D.
Rutgers University (Muslim)
Dr. Nadia Mian is the Senior Program Director of the Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement and a Lecturer at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. She holds a Ph.D. from The New School, and Masters in Environmental Studies, where she specialized in urban planning from York University in Toronto, Canada. Her research focuses on faith-based property development and examines how faith-based institutions are advocating for land use and zoning reform to build affordable housing.
Gopal Patel
Bhumi Global (Hindu)
Gopal Patel is a global environmental leader and advocate, co-founder of Bhumi Global. Deeply engaged in mobilizing the global Hindu community for environmental action, he serves as an influential advisor in interfaith and environmental initiatives. His work emphasizes the importance of integrating Hindu principles with environmental activism to foster a more sustainable world.
Jeffrey Tiell
Irving Harris Foundation (Jewish)
Jeffrey Tiell is a cross-sector professional dedicated to building and scaling social change for a more just and equitable society. As a Program Officer at the Irving Harris Foundation, he supports social justice initiatives focused on field leadership, advocacy, and movement building within the Jewish community. With a background in philanthropy, community development, and policy, Jeffrey specializes in civic engagement, strategic planning, and participatory community development.