BIO

Dr. Prerna Mandal is an Assistant Professor with a strong academic background in urban planning and infrastructure development. She holds a Ph.D. from IIT Kharagpur, where her research focused on stage-wise exploration of Urban Innovation-driven development with a holistic human settlement concept- Ekistics, promoting a bottom-up planning approach.

She has teaching experience across various urban planning subjects like Techniques of Planning, Urban and Rural Management, Real Estate Planning and Management, Ecology, Environment and Resource Management, Evolution of Aesthetics, Culture and Technology, and others. She has presented her research at national as well as international conferences.

For a short period of time she served as a Business Development cum Project Associate at AIILSG, Bhubaneswar, where she accomplished bid developments, led as a City-coordinator for the National Urban Learning Platform (NIUA-MoHUA joint initiative), and engaged key urban stakeholders across states for project outreach and content compilation. She also contributed to the interdisciplinary Project SandHI (Science and Heritage Initiative) as a Research Assistant at Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC), IIT Kharagpur, funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. As one of the team lead, she supervised over 25 interns in conducting field surveys, data analysis, literature reviews, and report writing. She also led outreach initiatives as a team member, presenting research outcomes at IIT Kharagpur and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Kolkata to students, government officials, and the public.

Passionate about sustainable and inclusive urban development, she integrates research and practice to address contemporary urban challenges in her personal and professional work. Through her academic and professional pursuits, she aims to contribute to resilient, equitable, and environmentally conscious urban futures.

Research Interests

• Urban Innovations and Management

• Socio-economic development

• Environmental conservation and awareness

• Sustainable Development Goals

• Circular Economy

Publications

Journal Articles

• Paul, A., Mandal, P., Banerjee, A., Goswami, A., & Sen, J. (2017). Factors Affecting Innovation-Driven Liveability: Case of Kolkata Metropolitan Area. Institute of Town Planners (pp. 82-89), vol.14 (2), New Delhi: India Journal. ISSN 0537-9679.

Conference Proceedings and Presentations

• Mandal, P., & Sen, J. (2019), Reviewing Global Innovation Index (GII) and integrating it in context of inclusive development of Innovation zone: Case of Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), City Futures IV (EURA - UAA Conference), UCD, Dublin, Ireland, June 20th-22nd. [Presented and Published in Book of Abstract]

• Mandal, P., & Sen, J. (2018). The Inclusive Role of Ekistics Elements in Earmarking Innovation Zones through a Balanced Distribution of Smart Development and Local Expression: Case of Kolkata Metropolitan Area. 23rd International Conference on Urban Planning, Regional Development and Information (pp. 461-470). Vienna: Corp-Consulting Research Projects. ISSN 2521-3938 (internet); ISBN 978-3-9504173-5-7 (print) [Presented and Published in Conference Proceedings].

• Paul, A., Saha, D., Mandal, P., & Sen, J. (2015), An appraisal of Cultural Heritage Conservation as a tool for Urban Regeneration: Case Study of Varanasi and Kolkata, National Conference on Sustainable Built Environment, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. April 8th-10th. [Presented]

• Mandal, P., & Sen, J. (2015), Applicability of Creative Economic Potential in Innovation Zones as a tool for Urban-Poverty Reduction: Cases in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), India, 6th International Seminar on Regional Network on Poverty Eradication, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Nov 13th-15th. [Presented and Published in Book of Abstract]

• Kushwaha, A., Chatterjee, D., & Mandal, P. (2011), Potentials of GIS in Heritage & Tourism, Geospatial world forum, Hyderabad, Jan 18th -21st. [Presented and Published in Conference Proceedings].

Project/Research Details

• Research contribution as Research Assistant (2014-2016)

• A forgotten case of river-based heritage tourism: Kolkata Metropolitan Region - Case of Nadia. (ISBN: 978-93-80813-39-4) [Supervising, surveying, and editorial engagement]

• River-Based Creative Economy Regeneration - The case of Hooghly river stretch in the Kolkata Metropolitan area: SandHI Summer Intern Surveys & Analyses Report. (ISBN: 978-93-80813-35-6) [Supervising, surveying, and editorial engagement]

• Creative Innovation Hub Report - A creative economic regeneration & urban design revival project: Boipara, College Street, Kolkata; A creative economic & urban design-based pilot project of Kumartuli area, Kolkata, West Bengal (ISBN: 978-93-80813-36-3) [Supervising, surveying, drafting, and editorial engagement].