Mrudhula Soe Koshy

About

Mrudhula Koshy is an urbanist and Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and Planning, at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. She has a PhD in Planning under Uncertainty from NTNU (Norway), a Postmaster’s Degree in Urbanism from TU Delft (The Netherlands) and IUAV Venice (Italy), and a Bachelor's in Architecture from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum (India). Her research examines the conceptual, methodological and empirical links between uncertainty, resilience, adaptation, and contingency to bridge planning, decision-making and governance approaches in resource-scarce contexts prone to high-impact, low-probability environmental crises, shocks, and stresses.

She has also explored spatial-temporal strategies for energy landscapes, urban metabolism, and post-fossil energy scenarios for transitioning to renewable energy use, circular economy, productive cities, and gender-inclusive built environment practices. Her core interests lie in developing context-based, multi-scalar planning and design strategies and methodologies for complex spatial research to address structural ambiguities and inequities in both Global South and North contexts. Since 2024, she leads the Adaptation thematic group funded by NTNU Civil Security, one of NTNU's strategic areas.

Publications

2021

Dutton, Jenna; Tomaselli, Chiara; Koshy, Mrudhula; Agnello, Kristin; Johnston-Zimmerman, Katrina; Morphet, Charlotte. (2021) Feminist Planning and Urbanism: Understanding the Past for an Inclusive Future.
Encyclopedia article

2016

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2016) Territorial spatial strategies: A case for dispersal. Urban Design Collective Urban Design Collective
Report
Koshy, Mrudhula. (2016) Shifting national narratives'; Borderscapes in 'Roads are often made by walking'. International Society of City and Regional Planners International Society of City and Regional Planners
Report

2014

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2014) Shifting centralities, shared lines: A redefined role for the peri-urban space in Delhi, National Capital Region. Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology
Masters thesis

Journal publications

Efstathiou, Sophia; Koshy, Mrudhula Soe; Pandit, Avijit Vinayak. (2025) Starting from hopelessness – grand challenges, sustainable development goals, and responsible research and innovation under urgency and uncertainty. Journal of Responsible Innovation
Academic article
Koshy, Mrudhula Soe; Smith, David. (2023) Community resilience implications for institutional response under uncertainty: Cases of the floods in Wayanad, India and the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sustainable Development
Academic article
Koshy, Mrudhula; Aranya, Rolee; Refstie, Hilde. (2022) Handling Compounded Uncertainty in Spatial Planning and Humanitarian Action in Unexpected Floods in Wayanad, Kerala: Towards a Contextualised Contingency Planning Approach. Planning Theory & Practice
Academic article
Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) “After the floods, he says he is an environmentalist”: Understanding blended roles and organizational boundaries in decision-making under uncertainty during unprecedented floods in Wayanad, India. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
Academic article

Part of book/report

Dutton, Jenna; Koshy, Mrudhula Soe; Tomaselli, Chiara. (2025) Ageing and gender: An intersectional lens for inclusive city-building practices in the Global North and Global South.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Koshy, Mrudhula Soe. (2024) Social Infrastructure: Principles, Diagnosis and Toolbox in Valencia.
Chapter
Dutton, Jenna; Tomaselli, Chiara; Koshy, Mrudhula; Agnello, Kristin; Johnston-Zimmerman, Katrina; Morphet, Charlotte. (2021) Feminist Planning and Urbanism: Understanding the Past for an Inclusive Future.
Encyclopedia article

Report

Koshy, Mrudhula Soe; Aranya, Rolee; Refstie, Hilde. (2024) Running Towards the Fire: Navigating Compounded Uncertainty through Contextualised Contingency Planning during Unprecedented Flooding in Wayanad, Kerala. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral dissertation
Koshy, Mrudhula. (2016) Territorial spatial strategies: A case for dispersal. Urban Design Collective Urban Design Collective
Report
Koshy, Mrudhula. (2016) Shifting national narratives'; Borderscapes in 'Roads are often made by walking'. International Society of City and Regional Planners International Society of City and Regional Planners
Report
Koshy, Mrudhula. (2014) Shifting centralities, shared lines: A redefined role for the peri-urban space in Delhi, National Capital Region. Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology
Masters thesis

Teaching

Courses

Outreach

2022

Programme participation

Dutton, Jenna; Koshy, Mrudhula; Tomaselli, Chiara. (2022) We need to talk about ageing in cities: the importance of gender for inclusive city building practices. [Internet] 2022-09-14
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) 'Finding your way in the field': Qualitative case study writing, field notes and summaries of interviews. PhD Seminar series , KU Leuven 2022-03-08 - 2022-03-08
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) Experience of writing a PhD. AAR 8320 Introductory course in theories of science and research methods for PhD- candidates , Trondheim 2022-01-26 - 2022-01-26
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) Contingency Practice and Planning: An introduction. Master's course in Urban Planning , Quebec 2022-02-15 - 2022-02-15
Academic lecture

Dutton, Jenna; Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) Aging Gracefully: An Intersectional lens for inclusive city building practices in the Global North and Global South. European Feminist Gender Conference, Social Change in a Feminist Perspective , Milan 2022-06-15 - 2022-06-18
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2022) Ambiguity in action: Handling compounded uncertainty in spatial planning and humanitarian action in the unexpected floods in Wayanad, India. RC21 Conference Athens 'Ordinary cities in exceptional times' , Athens 2022-08-24 - 2022-08-26
Interview

Koshy, Mrudhula; Krishnan, Malavika. (2022) Feminist Urbanism – A chat with Mrudhula Koshy. [Internet] 2022-01-09

2021

Lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2021) Community and Local Governance Perspective of Flood Risk Management in India: A case of the 2018 and 2019 Kerala Floods. Flood Adaptation and Mitigation , Hull 2021-03-22 - 2021-03-22
Interview

Koshy, Mrudhula; Angheloiu, Corina; Tomaselli, Chiara. (2021) Vulnerability: Urban Resilience Podcast. [Internet] 2021-03-21
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2021) Towards localized contingent decision-making in uncertainty during unexpected floods in Wayanad, India. RC-21 Conference: Sensing the City , Antwerp 2021-07-14 - 2021-07-16
Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula; Smith, David. (2021) Community resilience implications for institutional response under uncertainty: Vignettes from the floods in Wayanad, India and the earthquake in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. AESOP Young Academics Conference: Governing the Unknown: Adaptive Spatial Planning in the age of uncertainty , Tirana 2021-03-29 - 2021-04-02

2020

Lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2020) Tools and methods for making cities sustainable and resilient. Webinar series: 'Urban Resilience. Facing global crisis at time of pandemic , Odense 2020-05-28 - 2020-06-26
Lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2020) Learning from crisis: A case of COVID in Kerala, India. The New Urban Normal: Urban Sustainability and Resilience Post COVID19 , Delft 2020-06-17 - 2020-06-17

2019

Academic lecture

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2019) Countering the hegemonic narrative: Using urban living labs to deal with uncertainty due to heavy monsoon floods in Wayanad, India. Nordic Geographers Meeting , Trondheim 2019-06-16 - 2020-06-19

2017

Programme participation

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2017) Cities without billboards. Rotterdam, The Netherlands Rotterdam, The Netherlands [Internet] 2017-04-20

2015

Poster

Koshy, Mrudhula. (2015) Shifting national narratives: Borderscapes. Cities save the planet: Let's reinvent planning , Rotterdam 2015-10-19 - 2015-10-23

Språkvelger

Mrudhula Soe Koshy