Amanda Dian Widyasti Kusumawardani
Amanda Kusumawardani is a Master in City Planning student at the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She is an urban planner and public sector practitioner whose work focuses on infrastructure-led urban transformation, metropolitan governance, and data-informed planning in rapidly urbanizing regions.
Before coming to MIT, Amanda worked at Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works, where she contributed to some of the country’s largest national urban initiatives. She was involved in the National Urban Development Project and the preparation of the National Urban Transformation Program, collaborating with national and local governments as well as international development partners. Her work focused on integrated city planning, infrastructure investment strategy, and translating long-term urban policy goals into implementable programs.
Amanda’s experience spans urban policy analysis, spatial planning, infrastructure strategy, and cross-government coordination. She has worked closely with ministries, city governments, and development institutions to advance sustainable urban development in Indonesia and support the country’s long-term urban agenda.
At MIT, Amanda works as a research assistant with Professor Brent Ryan on projects examining post-highway urbanism and urban redevelopment in shrinking cities. Her broader research interests include infrastructure investment, equitable accessibility, and planning approaches that bridge policy, design, and data.
Her work has received international recognition, including the ISOCARP Student Award (Special Mention), and she was awarded the MIT Racially Just Research Initiative Microgrant to support research on structural inequities in urban systems.
Amanda holds a Master’s degree in Economic Planning and Development Policy from the University of Indonesia and a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Institut Teknologi Bandung.
