Fulbright-Nehru Researcher
Washington, District Of Columbia, Us
In collaboration with Harini Nagendra, an ecologist and professor of Sustainability at Bengaluru’s Azim Premji University, this research explores the ecological, economic, and cultural roles of natural systems in the development of resilient urban landscapes. As rapid urbanization and climate change transform the ecology of our global landscape, rapidly growing cities like Bengaluru, India—projected to increase by 6 million people in the next 15 years—face multidimensional infrastructural challenges. Providing the human necessities of food, water, and shelter while also managing waste will prove difficult for these growing cities. Informed by the examination of Bengaluru’s past and present relationship to natural systems, analysis of Master Plan documents highlighting the proposed land-use changes in the city’s perimeter region (the peri-urban), and interviews with peri-urban community members, I aim to develop resilient urban design strategies that consider the socio-ecological role of urban natural systems. This research is funded by The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Dept of State.