Aarthi Janakiraman

Assistant Professor of Preservation and Urbanism

Aarthi Janakiraman is a planner and designer whose work explores the spatial politics of heritage conservation. Focusing particularly on the global program of World Heritage within cities in the Global South, her research examines the relationship between the built environment and social justice through the lens of heritage.

Aarthi’s current book project investigates the role of colonial-era World Heritage in postcolonial societies in the Indian Ocean Region. Using a transnational comparative approach, her book examines diverging approaches to postcolonial nation-building using colonial-era heritage. Bridging perspectives from urban studies, international development and critical heritage studies, she interrogates how the production and protection of urban heritage can impact equity and spatial justice. Aarthi’s work at the nexus of development, design politics, and heritage ethics has appeared in peer-reviewed publications including the International Journal of Heritage Studies, Urban Studies, and the Journal on Critical
Conservation.

Aarthi completed her PhD in Urban Planning from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She also holds a Master in City Planning from MIT, an MS in Architecture from Pratt Institute, and a Bachelor of Architecture from Anna University in India. A licensed architect in India, Aarthi has over five years of professional experience as an architectural designer in Singapore, New York City and Chennai.