With a Ph.D. in Urban Growth Modeling and over eight years of experience in geo-informatics, Aarthi specialises in using machine learning and spatio-temporal analysis to address the complex challenges of climate change. Her research expertise lies at the intersection of urban resilience, circular economy, and sustainable development. By bridging the gap between advanced spatial engineering and policy-driven research, her ambition is to develop applied knowledge and data models that support territorial governance, sustainable urban economies, and the mitigation of environmental risks.
GIS Analyst / Cartographer
Aarthi Aishwarya Devendran
Spatial Story
My journey into the world of maps began in the vibrant landscapes of Southern India. As an engineering student in Chennai, I was fascinated by the sheer complexity of how cities breathe, expand, and sometimes struggle under the weight of rapid growth. This curiosity led me from the bustling streets of India to the historic, design-centered corridors of Politecnico di Milano in Italy. Living in Europe for the first time, I began to see cities not just as collections of buildings, but as intricate, evolving puzzles of energy, waste, and human movement.
The more I traveled, the more I realized that while every city is unique, the challenges of climate change and urban expansion are universal. I returned to India to pursue a Ph.D., diving deep into the mathematics of urban growth—using satellite imagery and remote sensing to predict how our future cities will look. Yet, my path eventually drew me north, to the quiet forests and innovative research environments of Sweden.
Transitioning from the academic halls of Linnaeus University to the industrial heart of Malmberget with LKAB allowed me to see the practical side of spatial data. Whether I was modeling urban heat islands or managing GIS platforms for large-scale operations, I found my purpose in “making the invisible visible.”
Now at Nordregio, my journey has come full circle. I am able to combine my technical background in geo-informatics with my passion for sustainable policy. In a world of shifting climates and growing borders, I find fulfillment in using spatial stories to help build a more resilient and circular future.
Publications
Neethu Sreedevi Santhosh, Gnanappazham Lakshmanan, Aarthi Aishwarya Devendran (2025). Modelling Urban Expansion in Trivandrum using ANN based CA, IEEE India Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, InGARSS 2025.
Aarthi et al. (2023). Optimization of Municipal Waste Streams in Achieving Urban Circularity in the City of Curitiba, Brazil. Sustainability, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043252
Aarthi, A. D. and Fabrice, B. (2022). Spatio-Temporal Land Cover Analysis and the Impact of Land Cover Variability Indices on Land Surface Temperature in Greater Accra, Ghana Using Multi-Temporal Landsat Data. Journal of Geographic Information System, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2022.143013
Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mainali, B. and Aarthi, A. D. (2021). Circularity in the Management of Municipal Solid Waste – A Systematic Review. Environmental and Climate Technologies, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2021-0036
Aarthi, A. D. and Lakshmanan, G. (2019). Analysis and Prediction of Urban Growth Using Neural Network Coupled Agent-Based Cellular Automata Model for Chennai Metropolitan Area, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-019-01003-8
Aarthi, A. D. and Lakshmanan, G. (2019). Comparison of Urban Growth Modeling Using Deep Belief and Neural Network Based Cellular Automata Model—A Case Study of Chennai Metropolitan Area, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Geographic Information System, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2019.111001
Aarthi, A. D. and Lakshmanan, G. (2018). Urban growth prediction using neural network coupled agents based Cellular Automata model for Sriperumbudur Taluk, Tamil Nadu, India. The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrs.2017.12.004
Aarthi, A. D. and Fabrice, B. (2023). Impact of Land Cover Variability Indices on Land Surface Temperature Using Multi-Temporal Landsat Data in Greater Accra, Ghana. Novel Perspectives of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, 3. https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/npgees/v3/4119C
Aarthi et al. (2022). Spatial interaction model of energy demand of buildings and satellite thermal imageries using Geographically Weighted Regression analysis. Eceee 2022_Summer Study on energy efficiency. 4-275-22_Aarthi et al
Aarthi et al. (2021). Identification of potential landfill sites in Bengaluru metropolitan region, India through GIS-AHP framework. The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022. Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43559-1_77
Aarthi et al. (2021). Analysis of influence of landuse/land cover changes on the land surface temperature of Växjö Municipality, Sweden. eceee 2021 Summer Study on energy efficiency: A New Reality? European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ECEEE) eceee Summer Study proceedings. http://lnu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1565401/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Aarthi, A. D. and Lakshmanan, G. (2014). A Review on Accuracy and Uncertainty of Spatial Data and Analyses with Special Reference to Urban and Hydrological Modelling. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsannals-II-8-171-2014
