Department of Architecture and Planning is happy to announce the release of book titled, ‘Urban Planning Theory’(Blue Rose ONE Publishers), written by senior Professor V. Devadas. The Book was recently released by Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee on 3rd July, 2025. The department fraternity extends congratulations to Prof. Devadas for publication of this useful text book for town planning students, scholars and practitioners. The goal of the book "Urban Planning Theory" is to help undergraduate and graduate students studying urban planning advance their academic careers. Even non-technical students could read and comprehend this book, because of its clear writing. What the theory says about the topic is covered in this book, along with its advantages and disadvantages. Though there aren't many books about planning theory written by Indian authors, this one stands out for having a distinct personality because it contains analytical work. The author thinks that students studying urban and regional planning will find this book to be very helpful.

The Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee is happy and proud to share that Prof. Avlokita Agarwal and Prof. Smriti Saraswat are being bestowed upon, the Australia Awards Fellowship (2024-2025 cycle), by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia. They were felicitated by the Australian High Commission, New Delhi, on 21 March 2025, in the gracious presence of Carly Partridge, the Minister Counsellor.
The recipients shall be hosted by the Adelaide University, during 25 July 2025 - 08 Aug 2025, to participate and contribute in the Faculty Capacity Building Program on "Academic Skills Development in a Digital World: A Capacity Development Program for Higher Educators", where 14 faculty members are invited, from diverse backgrounds, and different parts of the World. We congratulate them, and wish them success, during the fellowship.

The Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee is happy and proud to share that Radhika Goel, PhD Scholar at the Department of Architecture and Planning, recently presented her paper co-authored with Prof. Smriti Saraswat, titled “The Evolution of Trade and Pilgrimage in Haridwar” at the XVI International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, held in Rome, Italy, on 19–20 June 2025. Her research, focusing on the historical and spatial transformation of Haridwar’s marketplace in the context of pilgrimage and trade, received high academic recognition. In acknowledgment of her work, she was also conferred the Emerging Scholar Award by the conference committee. Her doctoral work, under the supervision of Prof. Smriti Saraswat, examines historic Indian bazaars through the lens of urban form and cultural heritage.

The Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee is happy and proud to share that Abhishek Verma, PhD Scholar at the Department of Architecture and Planning, recently presented her paper co-authored with Prof. Smriti Saraswat, titled “Investigating Dharamshalas (Pilgrim-inns) of Haridwar, focusing on Intangible Cultural Heritage and its Continuity” at the XVI International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, held in Rome, Italy, on 19–20 June 2025. His research, establishes the inter- relationships between tangible heritage and intangible cultural heritage, focusing on the famous pilgrim city of Haridwar, situated in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand also known as Dev Bhoomi, received high academic recognition. His doctoral work, under the supervision of Prof. Smriti Saraswat, examines Dharamshalas (Pilgrim-Inns) through the lens of spatial narratives and cultural heritage.

The Department is proud to share that Mohammad Umair, a PhD scholar under the guidance of Prof. Sameer Ali, has been awarded Best Paper Presentation at the International Conference on Sustainability and Morphology of Built Environment, organized by the Department of Architecture, Z.H.C.E.T, Aligarh Muslim University, held on 12–13 April 2025. His paper titled "Evaluation of the Viability of Last-Mile Connectivity Solutions to Enhance Access to Metro Stations in Dwarka, New Delhi" was recognized for its insightful contribution to the field of sustainable urban transport and mobility.

We are delighted to share that our students from Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee have won 2nd Runner up position in Uttam Architect Award 2025 organised by Mangalam Cement Ltd. and IIA Indore. The following students from Masters and Bachelors worked under the guidance of Dr. Sonal Atreya: 1) Himanshu Wanjari - M.Arch 2nd year 2) Sukhvinder Kaur - M.Arch 2nd Year 3) Kaushlendra Singh Ahirwar - M.Arch 2nd Year 4) Laxman Nanawath - B.Arch 2nd Year The team presented their design for Bhakt Niwas in Ujjain in front of a Jury Panel of renowned Architects and Designers in an event that happened in Indore. Congratulations to the team and Dr. Sonal Atreya for winning this prestigious Award. #TeamIITRoorkee #2ndRunnerUp #Winners

The Department of Architecture and Planning proudly participated in this year’s Institute Research Day, presenting cutting-edge research on urban and spatial challenges. Out of the three shortlisted posters, two secured top positions in the Architecture & Humanities category! Selected Posters from Our Department: 🏆 1st Prize: Cycling to School: Situation Assessment & Planning Strategies – Manan Monga & Dr. Shubhajit Sadhukhan 🥉 3rd Prize: Investigating Spatial Disparities in Healthcare Accessibility – Parul Suraia, Dr. Harshit S. Lakra & Dr. Tanaya Sarmah 📌 Methods of Data Collection & Visualization in Emotion Mapping Studies – Shreya Shukla & Dr. Tina Pujara Congratulations to all the researchers for their impactful contributions! #IITRoorkee #ResearchDay #ArchitectureAndPlanning #UrbanResearch #CyclingToSchool #EmotionMapping #HealthcareAccessibility #ResearchInnovation