Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS)

MIT's School of Architecture and Planning has received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for the purpose of developing an integrated, interdisciplinary PhD and Masters level curriculum in urban planning for a newly created university--the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). IIHS is a privately- funded educational institution that will educate a new generation of urban practitioners and scholars focused on addressing the challenges of large scale urban transformations in India. Professors Bish Sanyal and Lawrence Vale are leading an interdisciplinary team of faculty members and professionals, from MIT and other educational institutions as well as practice partners, to develop an innovative curriculum. They are being supported by PhD and Masters students from MIT's Department of Urban Studies, and Department of Architecture.

Professor Sanyal will be working specifically on the creation of a new core curriculum, which will cultivate “new sensibilities” necessary for innovative planning in India. The new core will serve to integrate various aspects of planning, ranging from ecnomics to law, and will bridge current conceptual divides, like top-down and bottom-up planning, planning and implementation, and market efficient and social equity.

Additional faculty teams from within and outside of MIT are developing curricula for fine specialization areas ranging from Economic development to Infrastructure planning. The most recent project meeting was held in Bellagio in summer 2009, with the next meetings set for London in November and India in January 2010. Other project partners include University College London, IDO (San Francisco) and ARUP.

For more information on the IIHS and MIT, please see the IIHS Website or contact Amit Prothi: prothi@MIT.EDU