Kavita Srinivasan (she/her)

Organization:  DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES | Design, Placemaking & Storytelling
Role: Director
Bio: Kavita Srinivasan is an architect, planner, and theatre-maker who weaves together architecture, urbanism, and storytelling to shape meaningful spaces and experiences. She holds dual master’s degrees in Architecture and City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was formerly a licensed architect in the USA, and is LEED 2.0 certified. Her work spans continents—having lived and worked in the USA, Nepal, and India—while her upbringing in Zambia and Papua New Guinea instilled a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives. She is fluent in English, with conversational proficiency in Tamil, Hindi, Nepali, and basic French.

As an architect and urban designer, she has extensive experience managing complex urban development projects across the USA and Asia. She has led the planning and design of mixed-use, residential, and public realm projects, integrating community engagement and sustainable urban development practices. As a theatre-maker, she has created award-winning productions, using performance as a tool for placemaking and community engagement.

Areas of Interest: 

  • Creative Placemaking

  • Regenerative Design in Architecture and Urban Design

  • Inclusive Community Engagement

  • Cultural Sensitivity

  • Mapping Intangibles

  • Integrating Performing Arts into Public Spaces

Things you want to learn:

  • Collaboration: Engage with fellow Culturescape members to learn from their unique expertise.

  • Deepen mapping and research skills: Enhance my ability to capture intangible factors that profoundly influence human lives, contributing to more sensitive and informed built environment designs.

  • Explore Indigenous epistemology: Gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures' knowledge systems and their relationships with the natural environment.

Things I want changed in the sector: I hope to see more collaboration between arts, culture, and urban design professionals, breaking down silos to create spaces that reflect the needs and values of all community members, particularly in urban contexts. I hope to see more diversity in the voices that get to shape our built environment.