Postgraduate research students

Highrise building construction has proliferated cities for a range of reasons. A product of this segment is the development of vertical ‘luxury’ residential properties that provide access to exclusive shared amenities and securitised homes. Along with reshaping the built form of urban areas, this housing typology is restructuring the socio-cultural, economic and environmental experiences of cities.

The aim of this research is to explore the lived experience of luxury highrises and analyse the extent to which this tenure will precipitate inequality in future cities. Through a comparative approach, the project will contribute to information on luxury highrise developments, in cities of the Global North where such developments are relatively new and in the Global South where this typology is an idiosyncratic symbol of modernisation. It further will explore how such developments and experiences differ in the Global North and the Global South. The metropolitan cities of London and Bangalore are respectively selected as cases.

The research will develop a theoretical framework to explore the dimension of luxury highrise housing along with emphasising on lived experiences from the perspectives of residents and communities that live in the shadows of such developments.

As cities continue to grow, the way we construct and manage housing typologies will be crucial to compare equalities and disparities at different spatial scales. The outcome of which will help develop new knowledge to mitigate future challenges generated by luxury highrises.

Research Interests:

• Dimensions that impact the development of luxury highrise development (such as land processes and politics, market dynamics and branding, etc.).
• Mixed methods to capture lived experiences of different community groups.
• Urban governance at different spatial scales.

• Professor James White
• Professor Ade Kearns

University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow Jointly Funded PhD Studentships

An Urbanist with experience in consulting and research. She works in the areas of urban planning and design, placemaking, behavioural studies and spatial data platforms. Marisa is passionate about resilient city planning, human-nature interactions, equity and inclusion. 

Academic Background:

• Masters in Urban and Regional Planning, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (2014 - 2016)
• Bachelor of Architecture, M.S Ramaiah School of Architecture, Bangalore, India (2008 - 2013)

Professional Experience

• Project Consultant, World Resources Institute India (2019 - 2020)
• Research Consultant, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (2017- 2019)
• Research Associate, Centre of Excellence in Urban Transport, CEPT University (2016 – 2017)
• Intern, CiSTUP, Indian Institute of Science (2015 – 2015)

Certification(s)

• Registered Architect, with the Council of Architecture (CoA) India: Reg No: CA/2015/69696.