Sandhya Rao is an urban designer with over 15 years of experience across professional practice, academia, and collaborative research. As Lead Urban Design Consultant with Esthétique Architects, she has developed heritage-sensitive master plans and DPRs under government and heritage authority frameworks, focusing on urban regeneration and sustainable precinct development. Through her independent practice and collaborations, she co-founded Citylab BLR, where she led participatory city-making projects including international showcases and citizen-driven urban design initiatives. She also served as a Regional Collaborator with Citymakers (Barcelona), contributing to global dialogues on sustainable city practices, and consulted on smart city planning and development frameworks across India. Earlier, she worked as Associate Architect and Project Lead with RSP Design Consultants, delivering large-scale master planning and mixed-use projects. Alongside practice, she has taught at leading architecture schools and published research with Springer and Routledge on heritage, morphology, and socio-cultural urbanism. She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Project Lead at the Institute of Smart City and Management in Ho Chi Minh City, where her work focuses on climate resilience, digital innovation, and net zero urban transitions.