Graduate Student
Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (2025)
Ghuncha Shaheed is a Fulbright scholar from Pakistan and is currently studying Urban Placemaking and Management at Pratt Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in art and design studies from Pakistan. Shaheed has worked as an architect and urban designer with the Urban Policy Unit in Peshawar. She is a keen observer of human behavior, particularly in response to the urban and architectural environment, which she expresses through her photography and illustrations. Her photography and artworks have been exhibited in Pakistan and published online on various platforms. Born and raised in Peshawar, Shaheed has actively advocated for marginalized communities whose needs are not addressed in built environment policies—a practice she is continuing and expanding here in New York City. Much of Shaheed’s research focuses on bringing the needs of marginalized communities to the forefront to better inform policy and design decisions for self-sustaining and empowered communities. With her degrees in both art and architecture, she explores the intersections of art and the built environment and how they can be combined as tools for civic engagement and as goals for enhancing and activating public spaces. Her work promotes diverse cultural uses of public spaces through bottom-up approaches to organic placemaking. In her free time, Shaheed indulges in astrophotography and stargazing, enjoys indie music, and cooks her mom’s recipes to keep from feeling too homesick.
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