Urban Visionary Strongly Advocating for Good Urban Governance

Aarti Mehta is a Mumbai native with an undergraduate degree in Architecture from the University of Mumbai. She started her career by working at corporate architecture companies in Mumbai, where she realized her interest lies in how the built environment is shaped and the importance of communities in the design and development processes. She thus pursued her Master’s in Urban Placemaking and Management in 2018 from Pratt Institute in New York City. Since then, Aarti has contributed a diverse portfolio of inclusive community engagement, public space planning, designing qualitative research, and analysis. With an applied urban placemaking lens, she seeks to shape policy and build relationships with the community to help connect and learn from one another. As an Operations Fellow at Times Square Alliance Business Improvement District (BID), Aarti proudly contributed to the BID’s mini plaza activations–laying the foundations for new policies in street design.

In 2020, Aarti researched the ‘Future of Open Streets in New York City (NYC) ’ for what has become one of the most significant shifts in public space for NYC–Open Streets as a Transporation Policy Intern at the Manhattan BP’s office. Her advocacy efforts focused on underserved communities, resulting in a comprehensive report that has become a vital resource for city agencies, offering insights into effective open street management. One of the best Open Streets in the city, Pleasant Ave. (between East 118th and 120th Streets in New York City), has impressively expanded open space for residents, facilitated the delivery of critical services, and helped build community during its short tenure as an Open Street. Pleasant Ave. was not originally chosen as an Open Street, but after sustained advocacy from the local community and Aarti’s contribution, it was eventually designated.

As a planner, she has played a pivotal role in facilitating the formation of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in both Seattle and New York City. Her support in BID formations has empowered organizations to identify essential services and budgetary needs within their respective districts, focusing on enhancing the quality of public spaces. Much of her work has centered around community engagement and support, including designing district neighborhood tours.

In 2022, Aarti joined Perch Advisors, a consulting firm specializing in community engagement and economic development. At Perch Advisors, she leads a community engagement project for Dollaride – A mobility company that aims to enhance transportation options for underserved communities in NYC while reducing carbon emissions. She supported Dollaride in community engagement planning, which resulted in a $10 million grant award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in November 2022. The funding will be used to implement the Clean Transit Access Program (CTAP), which will support the transition to electric vehicles by providing access to EVs, charging stations, training, and licensing in Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs of NYC. Since then, she has hosted town hall meetings and presented at Community Boards (CB) in Brooklyn to create more awareness of the Clean Transit Access Program led by Dollaride to ensure that community members understand the impact of the project in the long run.

Juggling various roles as a designer, planner, and manager, she emphasizes the perpetual competition between municipal regulations and design. In her view, leadership carries a profound responsibility, particularly in serving underserved populations, aiming to improve their lives. She underscores the value and importance of good governance in her research project at Pratt Institute – A Governance Model for Public Space Management, Times Square, NYC and in the report ‘The Future of Open Streets,’ where she emphasizes the importance of managing public spaces to keep them sustainable for future generations.

Aarti passionately advocates for place governance and strives to enhance the quality of life in all her endeavors. Her goal is to make a positive impact by collaboratively working with the community to unveil the unknown and present compelling stories that can broaden the perspective of decision-makers.