I’m a passionate Urban & Regional Planning student at the School of Planning and Architecture, currently in my third year. My work revolves around spatial data, urban economics, and urban governance, where I explore how cities grow, function, and adapt to changing socioeconomic patterns
With a deep interest in GIS and AI-driven urban analysis, I leverage tools like QGIS and emerging AI techniques to interpret urban patterns, optimize land use planning, and enhance decision-making and sectoral trends showcased how spatial intelligence can drive more informed urban policies.
I believe the future of urbanism lies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and inclusive design. Let’s connect and build datadriven, resilient cities!
Harshit Somkunwar
URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
Education
2022-2026
Bachelor of Planning
School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
Sem 1 & 2:
Learned drafting, scaling, and area appreciation through urban infrastructure analysis in Bairagarh,MP assessing transport, housing, and social infrastructure.
Sem 3 :
Focused on Neighbourhood & Site Planning, evaluating brownfield infrastructure and proposing a sustainable greenfield neighbourhood
Sem 4 :
Conducted Transportation Planning surveys (TVC, PVC, O-D, speed delay), identified bottlenecks, and proposed an Area Mobility Plan for Rajwada, Indore to ease congestion
Sem 5 :
Worked on a Local Area Plan (Coimbatore), addressing water-sensitive planning, urban heat island mitigation, and flood management. Studied land assembly models like land value capture and land pooling
Sem 6 :
Developing a Master Plan for Mohali, focusing on regional development and sustainable infrastructure
2021-2022
Senior Secondary
Kendriya Vidyalaya Barkuhi, MP
Work Experience
Perception Photography Club Co-ordinator
SPA Bhopal
Associate editor NOSplan unit Council
SPA Bhopal
2023-2024 2023
Volunteer Urban Innovation Conference 2024
Summer Intern Centre for Indian Knowledge system in town planning 2024
Mapping Volunteer India Lost and Found 2024
Think India presentative SPA Bhopal 2024
Certificate
Workshop on River Sensitive Urban development NIUA
High- Speed Rail Development: Historical context and impact Asian development Bank
The national Implementation of the Paris agreement UN climate Change
2nd Runner up at Urban lens 26th NOSPlan
National level recognition in science technology & innovation for sustainable development Science congress KV Barkuhi
Contact
8827657304
harshitsomkunwar014@gmail com
Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh
: www.linkedin.com/in/harshitomkunwar-5424a7237
English - Proficient
Hindi - Native Marathi- local Languages
Skills
Report Writing On field survey & Communication Presentation
Data analysis & Presentation Arial documentation photogrammetry
Software
Spatial Mapping & survey
ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD
Modelling and rendering PTV Vissum, Sketchup, D5
Video and Photo Production
Adobe Photoshop, Premier pro Davinci Resolve, After Effects
Data Management
Microsoft suit
Jodhpur
Real Estate Market Analysis
Case Study of Pune
Categorization of Villages and Towns based on the calculated Centrality index
Case study of Ballari district, Karnataka
Land Surface Temperature
Earth Skin temperature map
Neighborhood-Level Spatial Analysis
Hotspot, cluster outlier, near and shadow analysis of Swati Bungalow colony
Land Use and Land Cover
Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Mohali
Miscellaneous
Regional setting map, Photography
01. Real Estate Market Analysis of Pune
As part of a real estate exercise, we conducted a spatial analysis of all RERAregistered properties in Pune, mapping them to visualize their distribution We integrated per square meter rates, circle rates, and bid-rent curve trends to understand pricing dynamics across different sectors Additionally, we analyzed sectoral trend lines to identify patterns influencing land and property values. This study provided key insights into price variations, demand hotspots, and urban growth patterns, contributing to a data-driven understanding of Pune’s real estate landscape.
Total Area- 479sq. km
Population Density6522.88/km^2 Total Population 31.24 lakh
Per Capita INR 88,341 (2004-05
Population Growth Rate 2 08 (AEGR, 2001-2011)
Methodology
City Selection
Pune
DATA COLLECTION
GDP (INR) 3163 Billion
Rent Index 7 70
Data of approved real estate projects within the planning boundary is collected from PUNE RERA website and located spatially.
Aspect Taken
Project Name
Project Location Type of Project
Concentric circles of 5 km are made from the CBD to measure distance
Price per Sq. Ft.
Unit Price Circle Rate
BID RENT ANALYSIS (Comparing Market Price and Circle Rate)
Sectoral Division along roads(11 divisions) to undersatand Market Value along directions
Connectivity Map
Air Transport:
Pune International Airport handles domestic and international flights A new airport in Purandar is planned to expand capacity.
Public Transport: Pune offers PMPML buses, suburban trains, and a growing metro system, improving connectivity.
Rail Transport: Pune Junction links major cities, with suburban trains serving nearby areas like PimpriChinchwad and Lonavala.
Road Network: Pune connects to key cities via major highways and the Mumbai Pune Expressway, while cycling infrastructure is being revamped Metro: Pune Metro operates on two lines, with Line 3 under construction The Civil Court interchange will serve as a central hub
Spatial locations of RERA Registered Projects
The map reveals that RERA registered projects in Pune predominantly cluster along major roads and railway lines This pattern highlights the role of connectivity and accessibility as key factors driving the growth and distribution of real estate development in the city.
Spatial locations of RERA Registered Projects
The map shows clusters of RERA registered projects in central Pune, with noticeable expansion towards suburban areas, indicating growing demand and infrastructure development Some regions show fewer projects, reflecting lower demand or limited infrastructure
Circle Rates of Pune RERA projects
Inference
The map illustrates that circle rates are highest within a 5 km buffer zone around Pune, indicating higher land values in centrally located or well connected areas These rates gradually decrease as the distance from the city center increases
Property Price per sq.ft of Pune RERA projects
Inference
The map illustrates that Buildings Price per sq.ft of Properties is highest within a 5 km buffer zone around Pune CBD IN Grid 8, indicating higher land values in centrally located connected areas.
Whole property price of Pune RERA projects
Inference
The map shows property price distribution in Pune RERA projects. Prices are highest near the CBD (₹2.96–3.7 crore) and decrease towards the periphery (₹0–74 lakh). Proximity to key infrastructure likehighways, arterial roads, airports, and railway stations drives higher prices. Development patterns align with PMC and PMRDA boundaries, while growth corridors are visible along major transport links like the Mumbai Pune Expressway
Distribution of Commercial and Residential RERA Projects
In Pune, approximately 93% of RERA-registered projects are residential, while the remaining 7% are commercial. This indicates a dominant focus on housing development in the city, reflecting the demand for residential spaces
INFERENCE
These pie charts highlights a higher density of commercial RERA projects in the southeast direction, specifically in the 5th sector Commercial is more towards Kolapur and Residential are more towards mumbai
The interesting observation about Pune bid rent curve is that the rent increase and it moves away from the CBD which because of its proximity towards Mumbai Best Fit Line between property price and distance from
02. Categorization of Villages and Towns based on the . calculated Centrality index
The centrality index or functional importance measures how central an area is in terms of attracting people to do various activities and it is a combination of diversity and density functions Functional importance or or Centrality Index (CI) of town has been estimated with the equation as:
CI = Σ (Fui × WFi)
Where,
CI = centrality index or functional importance of a town, Fui = number of functional units of function ‘i’, WFi = weightage of function ‘i’.
Categorisation of growth foci based on centrality index
03. Land Surface Temperature
LST Map stands for Land Surface Temperature (LST) Map It is a spatial representation of the temperature of the Earth's surface, derived from remote sensing data, typically from satellites.
Key Applications of LST Maps
Urban Heat Island (UHI) Analysis
Climate Change Monitoring
Agriculture and Crop Monitoring
Disaster Management
Hydrology and Water Resource Management
Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
Energy Consumption Planning
Methodology
Atmospheric corrected band 10 & 11
Brightness Temperature of Band 10 & 11
Mean Brightness Temperature
Land Surface Temperature Map +
Atmospheric corrected Band 4 (Red) & Band 5(NIR)
Proportional Vegetation
Land Surface Emissivity
NDVI
Chhindwara
Chhindwara
04. Neighbourhood-Level Spatial Analysis
In this project, I conducted a detailed neighbourhood-level spatial analysis using GISbased methodologies. The study involved:
Hotspot Analysis
Near Analysis
Cluster-Outlier Analysis
Shadow Mapping.
Near Analysis
Near Analysis to examine proximity relationships between key urban elements
Hotspot Analysis
Hotspot Analysis to identify areas of high and low activity based on spatial autocorrelation
Cluster-Outlier Analysis
Cluster-Outlier Analysis to detect statistically significant spatial patterns
Shadow Analysis
Shadow Mapping to assess the impact of built environment morphology on daylight access and urban comfort
Land Use and Land Cover
A Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Map is a spatial representation of how land is being used and what natural or artificial features cover the Earth's surface. It helps in understanding the relationship between human activities and the environment.
Base Map of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) Planning area
A base map is a foundational layer in provides a spatial reference for overlaying other geographic data. It typically includes essential geographic features like-Roads and transportation networks Water bodies (rivers, lakes, oceans),Administrative boundaries, Land cover (forests, urban areas, agricultural land),Terrain features (elevation, contours)
Regional Connectivity Map
A Regional Setting Map is a map that represents a city or town within its broader geographic, administrative, and functional context It helps in understanding the city's spatial relationship with surrounding regions, including:
