Aashima Arora

Background

About Aashima Arora

Urban Designer | Public Space Practitioner | U-CAN Fellow @ WRI India Designing inclusive cities through youth engagement, gender equity & community-led practices I am an Urban Designer with 10+ years of experience across practice, academia, and government consultancy, currently working as a U-CAN Fellow with WRI India on the Safe, Vibrant, and Healthy Public Spaces (SVHPS) project in Jaipur. My expertise lies in translating community voices into design strategies and building equity-focused frameworks for urban transformation. Career Highlights Smart Cities Mission (Egis India, Bhubaneswar & Chandigarh): Delivered end-to-end support for public buildings and public spaces — from concept design to DPRs and detailed drawings. Developed RFPs, cost estimates, and coordinated with vendors while conducting site visits to ensure feasibility of public realm and mobility interventions. Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (IPE Global): Contributed to shaping heritage-based tourism experiences by strengthening the link between culture and local economies, integrating design thinking into tourism-led urban development. Head of Department, Vivekananda Global University: Mentored 100+ architecture students, designed curriculum aligned with NEP 2020, and spearheaded NAAC accreditation work that helped the university secure an ‘A’ grade. Led the department to win the ‘Best Department’ award, built new industry tie-ups for better placements, and embedded real-world complexity into studios. Oversaw faculty hiring and external collaborations. Community-driven heritage precinct interventions: Designed and implemented participatory improvements in historic precincts, engaging District Collectors, local governments, citizens, shopkeepers, and tour guides to co-create shared, inclusive public spaces. At the core of my work is the belief that cities are most resilient when designed with people, not for them. I am now transitioning into independent consulting at the intersection of urban design, equity, and public interest — offering expertise in: Community & stakeholder facilitation Capacity building & training for youth and professionals Design-led research & frameworks (spatial strategies, reports, toolkits, guidelines) Let’s connect if you are working on inclusive urban development — from youth engagement and gender-equitable design to tactical urbanism, placemaking, and building narratives around public space impact.