Tanishka Sharma
Associate Planner at Cities Forum
India
About
Tanishka Sharma is an associate planner whose work focuses on understanding how cities function across social, spatial and governance dimensions. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Geoinformatics, which gave her a strong technical foundation in spatial analysis, GIS and data-driven decision-making, and an RTPI-accredited MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Birmingham — a transition from purely technical work toward an interdisciplinary approach combining planning theory, governance, sustainability and community engagement. During her Master's she worked on academic and applied projects related to inclusive urban development, gender-sensitive planning, retrofit and sustainability strategies, and participatory planning. She has since gained practical experience through internships and collaborative projects with consultancies and local authorities in the UK, alongside policy- and research-oriented roles in India, deepening her understanding of the gap between planning theory and implementation on the ground. Her professional interests include citizen participation, urban governance, gender and the city, urban project management and international consulting, with a clear orientation toward inclusive, governance-focused urban practice in interdisciplinary, international settings.