Debayan Chatterjee

About Debayan Chatterjee

Here is Debayan Chatterjee, an Indian alumnus of the Urban Development Planning MSc who came to The Bartlett Development Planning Unit with a bachelor's degree in Architecture and an interest in understanding planning theories and international practices for urban development in the Global South. Read about the aspects of his master's degree that Debayan enjoyed most, his experience of student life in London, and how his master's degree enabled his career prospects.

Debayan's academic and professional interests and experiences before his master's studies

"Before arriving at UCL, I earned my bachelor's degree in Architecture from Jadavpur University Kolkata and a Master's in Urban Design from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Following that, I spent three years at Building Design Partnership (BDP), a very well-known design firm based in the UK, where I mostly worked with their Delhi and Shanghai studios. There, I specialisied in Smart City designs and large-scale brown-field and green-field mixed-use, leisure, residential masterplans in India, Shanghai, and Myanmar. Later, I joined the National Institute of Urban Affairs where, for one and a half years, my key responsibilities were collecting baseline data for Delhi Masterplan 2041 and developing Form Based Codes for Urban Extension Areas of Delhi."

Why Debayan chose the Urban Development Planning MSc

"I trained as an Architect and Urban Designer, my experience with the National Institute of Urban Affairs sparked a keen interest in understanding planning theories and international practices for urban development in the Global South. This led me to choose the Urban Development Planning MSc, driven by a curiosity to explore how strategic community-led planning can address a range of complex socio-spatial and environmental challenges in cities. Being a recipient of the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship and the Goodenough-Commonwealth Bursary, my tuition, living, travel, and rent costs were covered, making the Urban Development Planning MSc at the DPU the perfect fit for me."

The highlights of Debayan's master's studies

"At the DPU I gained four invaluable lessons that played a pivotal role in securing my first job:

1. A profound understanding of the development processes shaping urban changes globally has been instrumental
2. Hands-on experience of collaborating with community organisations in both the Global North and South cities has enhanced my skills in co-producing knowledge with other stakeholders
3. The ability to work seamlessly in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team
4. Honing my research skills and mastering the art of communicating complex findings through easy and interactive visuals have significantly contributed to my professional growth.

The Bartlett Development Planning Unit provided me with a transdisciplinary academic platform where I was able to engage intellectually with faculties and students from various social science disciplines, where I could understand and evaluate the complex and crucial interface between urban design and city planning more accurately. All the core modules of the course provided me with a theoretical and practice-oriented foundation, allowing me to focus on socio-economic, spatial, and ecological disparities in both the Global North and South. Although, I particularly enjoyed the 'Urban Development Policy, Planning and Management: Strategic Action in Theory and Practice' core module, as it steered my curiosity towards the intersection of socially just planning in the Global South and time-bound planning and design. This intersection later became the focus of my MSc dissertation. 

Additionally, as a DPU student, I was drawn to experimenting with communication mediums for research. Instead of solely relying on conventional text-based inquiry methods, my department professors always encouraged me throughout all three terms to use both visual and written mediums equally to create an experiment-led research narrative. This support, especially as an illustrator, allowed me to sharpen my skills across various scales.

I continue to gain value from my master's studies on the Urban Development Planning MSc as my master's dissertation formed the basis for my blog posts published by the DPU (including 'An introduction to time-space planning') and the publication of two articles for the Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects and Urbanisation Journal.  

Debayan's experiences of life as a student in London

"Despite the impact of COVID on a significant portion of my study period at UCL, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in London during the first two terms. The city's multicultural environment, convenient access to libraries, student accommodations, and a plethora of entertainment opportunities made my student life enriching.

In the first two terms of the academic year, I had the opportunity to participate in workshops and networking events organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK. Notably, I attended a special tea event at Buckingham Palace, where selected Commonwealth scholars, including myself, had the chance to briefly discuss our individual master's degree research projects with the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Additionally, during this period, my friend Sreyash and I initiated an online academy named Architecture and Urban Design Academy (AUDA)."

How the Urban Development Planning MSc formed the foundation of Debayan's career

"As a professional in the realm of Urban Development, my constant involvement with organizations like Albert Speer and Partner (AS+P), AE7, and Jacobs over the past 3 years has awarded me the opportunity to contribute to a diverse array of large-scale planning and urban design projects for both public and private sectors, spanning across 5 different countries in the Middle-East and Europe. 

Simultaneously, I run an online institute called the AUDAcademy that helps students across the globe to inspect and rethink the paradigms of design and its intersection with the city's social, cultural, economic, and environmental fabric, at multiple scales and scopes. Together with the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow-based Architecture Fringe, I have organised workshops that brought together over 150 Indian students from renowned architecture and planning colleges to discuss the significance of people-centric planning and design in a rapidly changing world challenged by its increasing uncertainties. I continue to assist young scholars from social science backgrounds through my work as a mentor for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK where I help young scholars navigate the demanding UK research environment and meet its high standards, contributing to their overall growth and development. 

I envision a long-term career as an urbanist-educator, actively bridging academia and practice through active engagements with educational institutions, urban development agencies, and consultancy firms. My goal is to continue crafting community-centric designs globally in collaboration with governmental and private entities, while also disseminating professional and academic expertise through AUDAcademy to students worldwide. Additionally, I plan to pursue a PhD, extending the work of my MSc dissertation completed at DPU."

Debayan's advice for future students in urban development planning

"For the bold minds eager to decode the urban puzzle, disrupt conventional norms, and shape the future of cities – dive into a vibrant journey of visionary learning and hands-on experience with the DPU’s Urban Development Planning MSc."

To find out more about Debayan and his work, visit his creative design portfolio on Issuu, Debayan's LinkedIn profile and Debayan's Instagram page.

All illustrations were created by Debayan Chatterjee.