This is part of a special report produced in partnership with Gleeds
“The sector is so much broader than its traditional perceptions.” For Krithika Ramesh, head of built environment and urbanism engagement at Connected Places Catapult in London, that breadth defines both her career and her ambition for the industry.
From her home in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, where she lives with her husband and four-year-old daughter Kaira, she leads strategic partnerships designed to accelerate innovation across construction, infrastructure, planning and urban regeneration.
At Connected Places Catapult, Ramesh works at the intersection of industry, government and research, shaping collaborations that help built-environment businesses scale solutions that improve “liveability, sustainability and economic outcomes for places”.
Over six years, she has strengthened engagement with government departments, repositioned relationships with major industry partners and led high-impact accelerators and place-based programmes.
In doing so, she has overseen multimillion-pound initiatives that unlocked investment in emerging solutions and accelerated adoption of technologies that enhance resilience.
Day to day, her role balances strategic leadership with hands-on engagement: building relationships, shaping market strategy, speaking at events and translating industry needs into actionable programmes.
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A central thread is ensuring that innovation ultimately serves communities and the long-term evolution of places. That often means bridging very different perspectives – from policymakers to start-ups to major contractors.
Her pathway began far from London. Growing up in India, she was surrounded by buildings that reflected “deep history, culture and extraordinary diversity from state to state”. She studied architecture, restored historic forts in Rajasthan and worked with practices committed to local material sourcing, nurturing a deep interest in sustainability and context-led design.
A master’s in sustainable design brought her to the UK. While working on a natural ventilation project for the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, she realised “designing better buildings alone wasn’t enough”.
Reducing environmental impact required influencing wider systems – policy, partnerships and behaviour – and shaping the conditions that allow good design to scale. That insight drew her into public-realm regeneration, construction and eventually strategic engagement, where she now focuses on convening sectors around shared purpose and long-term resilience.
The transition from India to the UK demanded resilience. Navigating a new professional culture while moving from building-scale design to complex, interconnected systems required a broader perspective.
Early in her career, she was often the only woman on construction sites or in technical meetings, experiences that at times fuelled imposter syndrome. She overcame these challenges by investing in preparation and credibility, cultivating mentors and networks and consistently delivering in senior decision-making spaces.
Among the projects she recalls most fondly is a tactical urbanism initiative with Sustrans that reclaimed car-dominated streets and transformed parking bays into pocket parks for children and families. Seeing children play in spaces that days earlier had been reserved for cars reinforced her belief that small, thoughtful interventions can redefine neighbourhoods and spark wider conversations about public space, active travel and healthier urban environments.
When it comes to attracting more women, her focus is on visibility, representation and culture. Women must be able to see themselves thriving, not simply entering the industry.
“Organisations must build cultures that recognise different leadership styles,” she says, alongside mentoring, sponsorship and transparent progression routes. Flexible working and supportive policies, particularly around shared parental leave, are equally critical.
Asked what advice she would give women entering the sector, her message is expansive: Do not limit your understanding of what the built environment can be. Explore planning, transport, policy, regeneration and innovation. Stay open to non-linear paths. Seek out communities and mentors early. And, above all, trust the value you bring.
“The built environment shapes how people live, move and experience places. If that excites you, there is absolutely a place for you here – and the sector is better for having you in it.”
