ANKITA CHACHRA EXPERTISE
Urban Design City Planning Urban Mobility Policy Street and Public Space Design Gender Equal and Inclusive Cities Child-friendly Cities Public Speaking and Facilitation Nonprofit Management
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
URBAN DESIGN FORUM Fellow (2017-2018)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Adjunct Professor (2018) Associate (2015, 2013) Teaching Assistant Urban Design (2013) Research Assistant (2012, 2013) ASIA INITIATIVES Associate (2014) DRONAH Intern Architect - Conservation (2009) VIR MULLER ARCHITECTS Intern Architect (2007)
EDUCATION AND COURSES
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design, May 2013 SUSHANT SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE Bachelors of Architecture, May 2011 DANISH EMBASSY FOR CYCLING Bikeable City Masterclass
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY Global Road Safety Leadership Course MANAGEMENT CENTRE Management Training
CONTACT
ankitachachra@hotmail.com M: +1 917-940-7334 linkedin.com/in/ ankita-chachra-8239bb13
I am a passion-driven and people-oriented leader who believes in questioning the status quo as a means to address the challenges faced by society today. Professionally, I like to take an innovative and problem-solving approach to positively impact the quality of life in cities. I envision a future where cities will provide sustainable and equitable access to children, the elderly, women, and men; and will give them options and opportunities to achieve their full potential and contribute back to society.
HIGHLIGHTS • • • • • •
7+ years of international work experience. Supported city agencies to adopt design thinking to implement urban mobility projects and policies. Fostered and maintained relationships with partners across five continents, including local governments, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations. Applied strong verbal and visual communication skills to speak at public events. Attained management skills to support organizational growth and sustain success. Experienced in teaching students, training practitioners, and building capacity in city agencies to institutionalize knowledge.
WORK EXPERIENCE
NACTO - GLOBAL DESIGNING CITIES INITIATIVE Senior Program Manager, January 2019 - Present • Leading the Streets for Kids program and overseeing strategic planning, growth, and product development. • Providing technical assistance on child-friendly street design, mobility related polices, and urban programs to São Paulo, Istanbul, Tel-Aviv, and Mumbai. • Represent the organization at public speaking engagements at conferences and events • Build and maintain relationships with high-profile city officials and funders.
Program Manager, January 2017 - December 2018 • Review and suggest edits to international transportation and street design policy documents. • Build capacity in city agencies by training practitioners on street design, communication, engagement, data collection, and design implementation. Program Associate, March 2015 - December 2016 • Developed the Global Street Design Guide as part of the core-team. • Led and implemented safe street design projects in São Paulo.
SKIDMORE, OWINGS, AND MERRILL Urban Designer, November 2013 - July 2014 • Contributed to master planning and urban design projects and supported the design team with regional and feasibility studies. Conceptualized, visualized, and prepared drawings and presentations for design projects. DADA AND PARTNERS Architect, August 2011 - April 2012 • Supported urban scale and architectural projects by creating drawings and presentations. Co-ordinated on-site contractors and consultants.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Keynote Speaker, Child in the City Conference 2018, Vienna. Panelist and Presenter, International Forum on Child Road Safety 2018, Buenos Aires. Plenary Presenter, NACTO’s Designing Cities Conference 2017, Chicago. Presenter, Every Journey, Every Child International Conference 2017, London. Co-author, Global Street Design Guide, Island Press, 2016. Co-author, Design Streets – for the Future We Want, Landscape Architecture Frontiers, 2018. Author, A Smarter Gurgaon, SHELTER Magazine, 2015. A Divided Township, Urban Magazine-Volume 16, 2013.