RASHID MUSHKANI
AI & Urban Studies PhD Candidate
University of Montreal I Mila - Quebec AI Institute
Work

2024-11-20
Knowledge in Intersectoral Research

2023-05-30
Thesis Project: Street Review & Wedesign
Publications
Bio
Rashid Mushkani is an Afghan-Canadian researcher, architect, and educator with expertise in urban planning, artificial intelligence, and participatory design. His work focuses on integrating AI technologies into urban planning processes, exploring how these tools can contribute to creating inclusive and accessible public spaces. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Montreal, where his research emphasizes responsible AI development, co-production of knowledge, and the intersection of technology and community values.
Mushkani's academic background includes a Master of Engineering in Architecture and Urban Planning from Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan, where he examined socio-spatial equity in urban public parks. His professional experience encompasses architectural design, urban conservation, and public space revitalization publications with the Aga Khan Development Network. From 2017 to 2022, he served as an Assistant Lecturer at Kabul University, teaching courses on environmental behavior, urban design, and architectural conservation.
His recent project include Street Review, a doctoral initiative employing AI to evaluate streetscape quality, and the Artificial Intelligence Alignment for Inclusion (AIAI) project, which develops community-annotated datasets to align AI outputs with diverse perspectives. He collaborates with organizations such as ICCAR-UNESCO and Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute on issues of spatial inclusion and AI ethics in urban design.

Timeline
- 2022-Today: PhD Candidate, University of Montreal I Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
- 2023-Today: Researcher, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
- 2022-Today: Researcher, UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape
- 2019-2022: Researcher, International Urban Planning Lab
- 2017-2022: Assistant Lecturer, Kabul University
- 2016-2019: Architect, Chihilsitoon Garden - Aga Khan Development Network
Education
- 2022-Today: Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Planning, University of Montreal
- 2019-2021: Master of Engineering in Architecture and Urban Planning, Toyohashi University of Technology
- 2012-2016: Bachelor of Architecture, Kabul University
Honors & Awards
- 2025: Bourses en intelligence artificielle des Études supérieures et postdoctorales (ESP), University of Montreal
- 2024: FRQSC Doctoral Training Award, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Society and Culture
- 2024: Mitacs Accelerate Award, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
- 2024: Guy-Desbarats Excellence Scholarship, University of Montreal
- 2024: Student Engagement Award, University of Montreal
- 2023: Perseverance Award, University of Montreal
- 2022: Welcome Award, University of Montreal
- 2022: TUT-DC Fellowship, Toyohashi University of Technology
- 2019: JICA Scholar, Japan International Cooperation Agency
- 2018: Appreciation Award, Kabul University
- 2016: Best Student Award, Kabul University
Talks
- 2025: "Right to AI" – AI & Cities track at the AMLD – Applied Machine Learning Days, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland. Details
- 2025: "The Right to AI: Rethinking Participatory Approaches in AI" – Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium, SciencesPo, Paris, France. Details
- 2024: "Using AI to Design Inclusive Public Spaces" – Innovate for Cities 2024 in Montreal, Canada. Details
- 2024: "MID-Space: Aligning Diverse Communities' Needs to Inclusive Public Spaces" – Contributed Talk at the Pluralistic Alignment Workshop at NeurIPS, Vancouver, Canada. Details
- 2023: "Benchmarking Inclusion in Public Space: A Place—and Space—Based Assessment Method" – Spatial Justice in Practice Symposium – Benchmarking Spatial Justice in Policymaking, Planning & Design, TU Delft, Netherlands. Details
- 2021: "Power and Political System in a Century of Urbanization" – Asian Studies Online Consortium: Challenge and Harmony in Asia, Kyushu University, University in Fukuoka, Japan (Online). Details
- 2020: "Spatial Equity and Accessibility of Public Parks in Kabul City, Afghanistan" – 16th Conference of Asian and African City Planning (Online). Details
- 2019: "A Social Study of Public Space" – The 15th Conference of International Development and Urban Planning, Tokyo City University, Tokyo, Japan.
- 2018: "Urban Fabric of Kabul Old City" – Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.
- 2016: "Heritage and Public Space in Kabul" – Aga Khan Development Network, Dehli, India.
- 2016: "Urban Fabric of Kabul" – Kabul University, Kabul, Afghanistan.