Neema Kudva

Neema Kudva is a Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP). She is currently on leave but remains actively involved in research and academic leadership. She serves as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, House Professor and Dean at Becker House, and co-chair of the AAP Council for Diversity & Inclusion. She is also a faculty affiliate of the South Asia Program, a fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and a field member in public affairs, Asian studies, development sociology, and visual studies.

Education:

• Dip.Arch., School of Architecture CEPT, Ahmedabad, India (1989)
• M.Arch./M.C.P., University of California–Berkeley
• Ph.D., University of California–Berkeley (2001)

Neema Kudva’s research centers on equitable planning, institutional structures for development, small cities in the Global South, and participatory planning. Her work emphasizes community-based engagement, sustainability, and social policy, with significant focus on South Asia. She leads the Nilgiris Field Learning Center in Kotagiri, India, a transdisciplinary collaboration between Cornell and the Keystone Foundation, fostering engaged learning and research. Her pedagogical innovations include citizenship and sustainability planning experiments.

Her recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus on urban transformations, land dispossession, conservation, and justice. Themes across her work include spatial equity, decolonial planning, informal urbanism, and NGO roles in development. She explores how everyday practices and exceptional events shape just and sustainable urban futures.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• Kendall S. Carpenter Memorial Advising Award, Cornell University (2015)
• Senior long term research fellow, American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), Chicago and Delhi (2017)

Neema Kudva has secured multiple grants for engaged research and curriculum development, particularly through Engaged Cornell and the Mario Einaudi Center. She has advised numerous students, recognized through her advising award, and collaborates extensively across disciplines and institutions, including Syracuse University and the Keystone Foundation. Her leadership in academic affairs and residential education underscores her commitment to holistic student development.

She is deeply involved in transdisciplinary labs and teams, especially through the Nilgiris Field Learning Center, which integrates education, research, and practice in conservation and spatial justice. This field-based collaboratory exemplifies her commitment to community-engaged scholarship and sustainable development.