Elija Kozak, originally from Rostov-on-Don, Russia, is an MC/MPA Candidate and Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, specializing in urban planning. Based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Elija focuses on implementing transparent and democratic city planning practices in Russia, the Baltic States, and other former Soviet republics. With a background in architecture, Elija is dedicated to exploring how cities where governments prioritize top-down decision-making, can still incorporate public participation, bottom-up initiatives, and diverse stakeholder engagement in projects that serve the public good.