RASHID MUSHKANI

AI & Urban Studies PhD Candidate

University of Montreal I Mila - Quebec AI Institute

Work

Publications

Bio

I’m Rashid. I research urban planning and artificial intelligence through participatory design.

My work explores inclusive public space, socio-spatial justice, and pluralistic AI alignment, advocating a "Right to AI" grounded in power, inclusion, and community participation.

I hold a Master of Engineering from Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, where I studied socio-spatial equity in urban parks. Professionally, I've collaborated with the Aga Khan Development Network and taught foundational design and environmental design courses at Kabul University.

Currently, I’m a PhD candidate at the University of Montreal, leading projects like Street Review and Artificial Intelligence Alignment for Inclusion (AIAI).

I collaborate with academics, professionals, policymakers, and communities on AI ethics and spatial justice.

Email me for questions, collaboration opportunities, or anything else.

Portrait of Rashid Mushkani

Education

Honors & Awards

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.

Contact

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