HDR's Maria Katticaran Joins 2024 ULI Health Leaders Network

Maria Katticaran, AIA, LFA, has been chosen to participate in the seventh cohort of the ULI Health Leaders Network. The Health Leaders Network aims to empower real estate and land use professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to improve health and social equity outcomes in their professional practice and communities. 

This year, Katticaran is one of 30 professionals from diverse fields including real estate development, planning, design, engineering, community engagement, and public health, and was selected for her commitment to fostering healthier and more equitable built environments.

“I am thrilled for this unique opportunity to delve deeper into the intersection of health and equity in communities, which is a cornerstone of my professional and personal passions,” Katticaran said. “Participating in a program that offers a platform to explore innovative strategies for advancing health equity and to engage with fellow global leaders and experts in the field holds the potential to foster new approaches to addressing complex urban challenges in my own work.”

Katticaran is an architect and urban designer focused on community-centered, equitable design. She has helped create large scale projects across North America and India that reshape cities and create social infrastructure spaces, affecting the daily lives of millions of people. These include Link Union Station in Los Angeles, the Ontario Line Subway in Toronto, the Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal Modernization Program, and more. 

Katticaran is also heavily involved in her community, serving on the advisory board of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, where she reviews grant proposals and advises on funds allocations to equitable, climate-resilient projects across the Bay Area. Katticaran has a unique and valuable perspective on community aspirations and how projects can both impact and be shaped by local communities.