Pratap travels the world trying to make cities better. He’s an urban planner and architect who cares about how people use space to connect with each other.
It’s one of the reasons I often see him in the Newsfeed Café and the WGBH studio at the Boston Public Library. He says he likes how the Johnson building of the Boston Public Library has reimagined itself and revitalized Boylston Street. Once considered less attractive than its counterpart, the historic McKim building, the renovated Johnson building gets high marks for its architectural transformation. “This is an example of an upgrade of something that was already very nice,” says Pratap.
While looking down at his tattered sneakers, he tells me he walks from his home in the Back Bay neighborhood to his office in the Seaport each day. He often stops here to do some work or listen in to the WGBH Radio conversation broadcast in the café. And he thinks it would be wonderful to have other places throughout the city where people could gather to share ideas.
He says he loves Boston and believes other parts of the city like the Esplanade and the city’s many university campuses work well.
“The city is walkable and more bikeable now,” he says.
However, he does believe Boston has outgrown its historic center. “Because it is a very desirable area, there is now an affordability problem,” Pratap says. “The question is, how do we expand the energy of the city to other areas while providing access to work centers and better connective transportation systems?”
Pratap has worked on various city projects, and that has enabled him to gain different perspectives on the challenges facing today’s urban areas, he says.
He won’t draw attention to his own accomplishments as an architect and city planner, but his firm, Thompson Design Group, has been involved in many urban improvements here and around the world. His current project in New York City involves finding creative solutions to shore line erosion caused by Hurricane Sandy. The idea includes constructing ferry terminals offshore that would help stem storm surge. When the seas are calm, these same terminals would be used by transport systems to access waterfront locations in high density areas. “Multipurpose use is the key,” Pratap says.
Pratap grew up India and came to MIT for college, making Boston his new home. While his family is still in Delhi, he has a group of friends here who share his interest in the arts and technology. He humbly states he is only one of many people and non-profit groups who are trying to improve the lives of all who live here.
