Diana Meirelles da Motta is an urban development senior specialist - concerned about policy, planning and research - who has been working at the federal, state and municipal levels in Brazil. She held staff positions at the Brazilian Federal Government (1982- 2018) working with the Urban Development National Council (CNDU), Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Social Welfare, Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and Ministry of Cities. At the sub-national level, she was Project Director at São Paulo Metropolitan Planning Company (EMPLASA), Secretary of State for Urban Development and Housing, in Brasilia - Federal District (2004-2006). At the Municipal level was Secretary for Housing and Urban Land Regularization, in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil (2009).

For the Brazilian government she formulated urban development laws proposals, coordinated projects, programs, and developed researches and policies on urban, regional development and housing; providing technical and policy based assistance to support country policy strategies and technical support on urban and regional policy issues for the 1988 Brazilian National Constitution.

Diana holds several researches appointments with Brazilian Urban Development Institutions and Universities (national and sub-national levels), and with the UN/HABITAT, the World Bank, Cities Alliance and Inter-American Development Bank. Her work has supported urban and regional policy in Brazil. She also has published sixteen books and several articles and papers on regional and urban policy, urban planning, housing and environmental issues.

She also provided technical assistance for brazilian government and International Institutions (Inter American Bank and The World Bank ) on urban, housing policy and environmental Projects. United Nations Conference on Human (member of Brazilian Delegation): HABITAT III in Quito/Equador (2016) and HABITAT II in Istambul /Turkey (1996); United Nations Conference on Enviroment and  Development - RIO 92 (member of Brazilian Comitee) and Preparatory Meetings in New York, Conference on Human Settlements Nairobi, July 1995. ISTAMBUL + 5 (Preparatory Conference Nairobi. Kenia February, 2001) and others.

She holds Bachelor in Architecture and Urbanism and MsC, in Urban Planning and a degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Department of Architecture and Planning at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. She was invited for Visiting Scholar from the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at University of California, Berkeley (July, 2004).