oUR TEAM
ATISHA VARSHNEY, AICP
With +14 years of interdisciplinary experience in architecture, urban planning, and real estate development, Atisha has worked in 8 countries and cumulatively designed over 50 million sqft of dense urban environments ranging from large mixed-use master-planned communities to long-range planning for dense infill districts, public spaces to strategic asset management on surplus land. In the last 5 years, her work has contributed to developing 2500 plus housing units with another 5000 units in pipelines in California.
Atisha is an expert in land use and community development, with recent work focused on multi-family housing development, including affordable housing, public-private partnerships, TOD projects and faith communities. She is a seasoned development manager representing public and private developers. She has fastidiously led engagement with government agencies and real estate developers, collaborated with stakeholders, and led community engagement in volatile situations that have led to shared outcomes.
Atisha's real estate development process is rooted in economic realities, implementation ease, and community needs, leading to a comprehensive project design. Atisha’s training as an architect and landscape architect brings a unique mix of build form, open spaces, programming, and a sense of human scale to her urban planning practice. While the urban planning practice brings a long-term perspective and understanding of social impacts to her built work. She takes an agile and lean approach to project management, working collaboratively with her team and her partners to find high-value solutions
Atisha@FORWARDCitylabs.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/atishav/
Full PRoject List
Multi-family Development
VTA TOD Blossom Hill Mixed-Income ,
San Jose
3051 Edison Way Affordable Community, Redwood City
Grace Commons Affordable Community,
Faith Land, Antioch, CA
South Lake Tahoe Workforce Apartments,
City of South Lake Tahoe, CA
Alum Rock Townhome Development,
San Jose
Education
Pamona Unified School District Sulrus Land Asset Management
CSU Fullerton Campus Physical Master Plan Fullerton, CA
CSU Maritime Academy Feasibility Studies
Mayo Hall - Vallejo, CA
Hayward Unified School District - STEAM
Community Design
Santa Clara Downtown Precise Plan
Santa Clara, CA
Brisbane Baylands: Post-Plan Urban Design
Brisbane, CA
Blackstone Housing and Transportation Study
Fresno, CA
Square One Related Densification Master Plan Toronto, Canada
BSD City Master Plan
Jarkarta, Indonesia
Streetscape and Capital Improvement
Yerba Buena Street Life Plan
San Francisco, CA
Albany Complete Streets Project
Albany, CA
3rd St Rehabilitation - San Rafael, CA
Hesperian Boulevard Complete Street Implementation - San Lorenzo, CA
HOW Street Collaborative - Pro Bono Neighborhood Initiative - San Francisco, CA
Design and Site Planning
Riverside Plaza Public Space Design
Chicago, IL
Fremont City Wide Parks System Plan Fremont CA
Yellowstone Club and Ski Resort
Big Sky, Montana
Mekana Beach Resort
Maui, Hi
Jeju Ora Mixed-Use Masterplan
Korea
Center for Life Science
La Jolla, CA
El Cerrito Family Court
El Cerrito, CA
Buildings at Hayward High School, Tennyson High School, Mt. Eden High School
Hayward, CA
NYU Law School, Peking University
Beijing, China
Read Full Resume
Appointed Leadership Position
Urban Land Institute, Silicon Valley Programs Committee Member, 2018-Current
Urban Land Institute, Urban Plan Facilitator, Sept 2017- Current
SPUR SJ, Urban Catalyst Team member, Since 2018
Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, Member, October 2019-Current
Catalyze SV, Member, Jan2020- Current
APA CPAT Outreach Parklet, National Planning Conference SF, Project Manager 2019
Co-Founder, Anchal Project, Non Profit Empowering Sex Workers, 2008 – 2012
Olmsted University Scholar, RISD, 2009
Affiliation
Urban Land Institute, SV Programs Committee Member, Silicon Valley Chapter, 2108-Current
Urban Land Institute, Urban Plan Facilitator, Sept 2017- Current
SPUR SJ, Urban Catalyst Team member, Since 2018
Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, Member, October 2019-Current
APA CPAT + WRT Outreach Parklet, National Planning Conference SF, Project Manager 2019
Co-Founder, Anchal Project, Women Empowerment Not for Profit, 2008 – 2012
Olmsted University Scholar, RISD, 2009
Education
Advanced Certificate in Real Estate Development, San Jose State University, 2020-Ongoing
Rhode Island School of Design, Master of Landscape Architecture
School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), Bachelor of Architecture
Continued Education
Proforma Certification, ULI, Ongoing
Beyond Smart Cities: Emerging Design and Technology Certification, MIT Media Lab, 2019
Leadership Program with Carol Murray, Two Day Workshop, ULI, 2019
From Idea to Real Business, Stanford CEC, Winter 2015
Human-Centered Design, Ideo.org, 2016
Work Experience (+10 years)
Forward City Labs, Founding Principal, October 2020-Current
WRT, San Francisco, Associate & Senior Urban Designer, April 2016 – September 2020
VITA, San Rafael, Landscape and Planning Project Manager, July 2015 – April 2016
OJB, San Diego, Landscape Design Associate, June 2013 – July 2014
KPF, New York City, Architectural Designer, July 2010 – June 2013
Business Intern, Walt Disney Imagineering, Glendale, CA, June – September 2009