ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | NAGAR
Ashwini Deshpande is an architect and urban researcher specialising in Architectural History and Theory from CEPT University. Her work bridges contemporary urban issues with historical inquiry, focusing on how planning, policy, and heritage intersect in shaping cities. She has previously worked as a Junior Archivist and teaching associate at CEPT University.
As Associate Director at NAGAR in Mumbai, Ashwini addresses civic issues related to public open spaces, heritage, slum rehabilitation, street vending, and land reclamation. She is also part of the Preserving Legacies cohort, a global initiative led by the National Geographic Society, ICOMOS, and the Climate Heritage Network, where she is representing Mumbai’s World Heritage Site of urban ensembles in efforts toward climate resilience and heritage preservation on behalf of NAGAR. Her research aims to critically examine how fragmented regulatory systems in cities across India produce environmental injustices and deepen social inequalities.