Priti Narayan

Priti Narayan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Arts. Her research and teaching focus on urban processes and politics in India, with an emphasis on state-society relations, feminist methodologies, and public scholarship. Prior to joining UBC, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University’s Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism, and the Humanities.

• PhD in Geography, Rutgers University (2019)

Narayan’s research explores how marginalized communities in Chennai, India, negotiate slum evictions through collective action. She collaborates with the Pennurimai Iyakkam (“Women’s Rights Movement”) to document working-class activists’ lived experiences and theorize their contributions to urban studies. Her work bridges academic and activist knowledge, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to environmental justice and labor rights.

Recent projects examine urban development in Tamil Nadu, labor codes, and occupational health for construction workers. Her academic publications span journals like Gender, Place & Culture, Urban Studies, and Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, often co-authored with local activists. She emphasizes ethnography, archival analysis, and collaborative methods.

Scientific Awards:

• SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2023)
• UBC PRE Fund Award (2023)
• CIHR Operating Grant (Co-PI, 2021-23)
• Hampton New Faculty Research Grant

Narayan supervises graduate students in Geography and Interdisciplinary Studies, including Varun Panickar and Paroma Wagle (postdoctoral). She currently does not accept new supervisees. Her courses at UBC include topics like urban environmental politics and climate change.