Urban Design + Planning Portfolio (University of Pennsylvania '24)

City Planning ‘24, UPenn

Kamya Khandelwal

kamyakhandelwa.1402@gmail.com

City Planning graduate specializing in Urban Design with three years of experience in urban development and community engagement. Looking to leverage planning and architectural design skills in sustainable and innovative projects. SKILLS

Software: ArcGIS, R, Python, Google Earth Engine, AutoCad, Rhino, Revit, SketchUp, Adobe Suite, VRay, MS Suite Competency: Geospatial Analysis, Big Data Wrangling and Analysis, Machine Learning Algorithms, Data Visualization, Public Policy Analysis, Community Engagement, Project Management, Architectural Design, Financial Modeling EXPERIENCE

PennPraxis UPenn, Planning Intern (Philadelphia and New York)

• Design Workshop: Facilitated a hands-on youth leadership workshop for disenfranchised NY teenagers

• Skill Development: Fostered creativity, self-expression, and practical skill development through immersive design

Unitary Design Studio, Architect (Auroville, India)

• Site Planning: Developed initial phases of planning and commercial development for 75-acre ‘Art of Living’ township Bahr.Studio, Architect (Jaipur, India)

• Interior Design: Lobby design renovations for Hotel Clarks Amer

The Adda Experiment, Co-Founder (New Delhi, India)

• Urban Rejuvenation: Designed public furniture and street art for an informal settlement in Delhi (2021)

• Published Article: "Reimagining a World Where All Children Can Play" at Urban Voices (2020)

Studio Momo, Architect (Goa, India)

05/2023 - 08/2023

05/2021 - 05/2022

• Project Management: Supervised locally sourced construction of an animal shelter for NGO ‘Help in Suffering’

Alessandro Pepe Arquitecto, Architecture Intern (Porto, Portugal)

01/2021 - 05/2021

• Residential Design and Documentation: Developed drawings, renderings and project publications for design magazine

• Renovation: Redesigned residential spaces and visualizations for publication in ArchDaily re'D, Architecture Intern (Ladakh, India)

• Sustainable Material Application: Designed hotels using Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB)

NGO Pravah, Youth Empowerment Intern (New Delhi, India)

• Youth Workshop: Facilitated social justice workshops in collaboration with Australian NGO Oaktree

EDUCATION

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

PA 02/2018 - 05/2018

• Graphic Design and Documentation: Crafted annual progress report to secure grant funding

Master of City Planning, Concentration in Urban Design

• Community Engagement: Designed and Implemented innovative community outreach survey targeted at children (2021)

03/2020 - 12/2020

- 07/2017 02/2020 - Present

05/2016 - 08/2016 www.kamyakhandelwal.com/

• Urban Design Capstone: Teaching Assistant (TA) and Participant in Public Realm Studio in Paipa, Colombia (ongoing)

• Graduate Studios: Sustainable Design Goals (SDGs) Oriented Development for Lake Victoria, Kenya with UPenn Landscape Architecture (Fall 2023); Neighborhood Planning for Woodland Avenue Corridor, Philadelphia (Spring 2023); Mixed-Use Urban Design Proposal for Chinatown, Philadelphia (Fall 2022)

• Research and Analysis: Urban Form and Walkability Analysis using Python in Kenya (Fall 2023); Urban Heat Island Analysis using ArcGIS in Kenya (Fall 2023); Sustainable Transportation and Economic Policy Brief in Kenya (Fall 2023); Neighborhood Deindustrialization and Gentrification Study in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia (Fall 2022)

• Wharton-Weitzman ‘FoC’ Conference: Facilitated ‘Climate Change and AI’ Future of Cities Conference (2024)

School of Planning and Architecture (New Delhi, India)

Bachelor of Architecture, Placed in the First Class

• Undergraduate Studios: Thesis on ‘Heritage Precinct Development’ for Mansagar Lake, India (Spring 2019); ‘Transit Oriented Development’ Urban Design Project in New Delhi, India (Fall 2018)

• Research: Seminar on ‘Politics of Displacement’ (Fall 2018); Dissertation on ‘Gender and Architecture’ (Fall 2017) COMPETITIONS

ASLA Student Awards 2023 (Participated, Team of 3); Lexus Design Awards India 2022 (Shortlisted, Team of 3); Urban Chair 2020 (Second Position, Team of 3, 300+ entries); The Little Big Loo 2020 (Top 30 Entries, Team of 3, 700+ entries); m000 ISO[NATION] 2020 (Honorable Mention, Team of 2, 200+ entries) INTERESTS

Socio-Economic System trategies

EW-NS Commercial Corridor:

Connectivity between Agriculture, Commerce and Tourism

Rural-Urban Synergy:

Delineating town’s limits

Tourism as a Major Catalyst for Growth:

Economic Diversification

Community-Oriented Development:

Empowering local community

Leveraging Paipa’s natural landscapes and cultural heritage, this proposal aims to drive sustainable urban development and enhance the area’s appeal for residents and tourists alike. The plan builds on strengthening the town’s rich natural and cultural history, focusing on revitalizing the waterfront with a mix of uses designed to foster community connections and boost the local economy and tourism. By capitalizing on this prime location with untapped potential, the proposal seeks to create a vibrant, thriving environment for all. Moreover, it emphasizes environmentally friendly practices to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience.

Lake Sochagota

Site Strategies

Space

Join proposed and existing streets

Lakefront and pedestrian Spine

Calle 25 mixed-use district

Reposition Calle 25

Urban farm along river

Creek social infrastructure

Hierarchical street network

Community green spaces

Incremental housing

Sections

The section showcases the transformative strategy for Calle 25 and the adjoining lakefront area, emphasizing the integration of urban vibrancy and connectivity. The design features a lively lakefront promenade complemented by a cultural center that honors Muisca architectural heritage, with a focus on mixed-use developments along Calle 25 to enhance the urban experience. This approach not only revitalizes the area but also strengthens the community’s connection to its cultural and natural resources.

Incremental Housing

The innovative mixed-income housing model employs a plug-in frame structural system that allows for incremental growth and adaptation to residents’ changing needs.

Porous clusters for inter-block pedestrian connectivity

Childcare center or small business

The creek is transformed into a vibrant pedestrian spine with mixed-income walk-up apartments, artisan studios and workshop spaces to promote Paipa’s cultural arts and handicrafts. A major design intervention is the naturalisation of the creek, removing the concrete which would ultimately mean an increase in width perhaps, and providing plants alongside to allow water to permeate through, to reduce storm water runoff and also filter the water through plants, soils and stream gravel for cleaner water flow.

Pedestrian Spine Render

Parking along streets

Housing units clustered around shared courtyards

Creek Naturalisation

Artisan Studios with Workshops

Walk-Up Apartments

Pedestrian Spine

Kamya Khandelwal