Professor Aditi Mehta has been an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Toronto since 2018. Her research sits at the intersection of community development, environmental justice and media studies. She designs courses and research projects in collaboration with non-profit organizations for the purpose of social change. 

Professor Mehta’s teaching philosophy centers on broadening knowledge production and fostering critical engagement with urban inequality and justice. Her goal is to instill civic values in students, moving them to use their skills, talents and knowledge for societal benefit. This goal is reflected in her innovative curricular and co-curricular practices that foster on-going, meaningful and ethical relationships between the teaching of urban studies and the city-building work happening in communities locally and farther afield. 

Professor Mehta was awarded the SSHRC Partnership Engagement Grant for her participatory action research course in which university students, members of the non-profit FOCUS Media Arts, and neighbourhood residents collaborated to conduct research and produce media about Regent Park’s rapid revitalization/gentrification. She leads the Multidisciplinary Urban Capstone Project in India, travelling to Pune and Mumbai, India for site visits and field research with students each year. 

Professor Mehta’s commitment to teaching excellence extends far beyond the classroom through significant contributions to institutional initiatives and broader pedagogical leadership and mentorship. She was a Senior Community Engaged Faculty Fellow at the Centre for Community Partnerships, re-designed the Activating Community Leadership course at the Toronto Centre for Learning and Development, and co-developed the annual international School of Cities Mixed-Methods Doctoral Workshop.