Unlike most Urban Designers, I never had training in architecture. I come from a multidisciplinary city planning and urban design background, which has given me the tools to understand complex spatial and socioeconomic issues. With strong data and spatial analytical skills, I’ve managed to bring an Urban Designer’s lens to strategies and policies for long-term solutions. What I thought would have been my weakness, became a strength, as I strive to bring holistic, and creative solutions to my projects.
Working on both city and regional scale planning projects has allowed me to continuously sharpen my skills in understanding how different disciplines feed into urban planning and design. For example, through the development of the Thimphu-Paro Regional Strategy and Thimphu Structure Plan, I’ve developed a deep understanding of the local context through spatial analytics, site visits and multidisciplinary workshops that have informed the various proposals and policies.
Through the same processes, I’ve contributed to other placemaking and strategic planning projects at the various stages. My attention to detail and understanding of planning frameworks and socioeconomic issues, will continue to push evidence-based strategic planning in the practice and help create ‘tailor-made’ solutions to complex places.