Sumit Kaur is an architect and urban designer with a distinguished career dedicated to urban planning and conservation in Chandigarh, Delhi, and Punjab. A recipient of numerous accolades for her exceptional work, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Institute of Architects, she was also recognized as one of the 100 Power Women by Womennovator. With a master’s degree in urban design, her work encompasses institutional planning, conservation, and design. She is a member of the National Architecture Council of WICCI (Women’s Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and a life member of INTACH.

As former Chief Architect of the Chandigarh Administration, she headed both the Architecture and Urban Planning Departments. She oversaw the creation of the city’s first statutory Master Plan, CMP-31, an exhaustive document for the holistic and sustainable development of the city. She served as a member of the Master Plan’s Board of Inquiry and Hearing, handling the urban planning and architectural aspects of the formal hearing process. During this period, she was also involved in framing rules and regulations, including the city’s mobile policy and village byelaws. A key achievement was leading the preparation of the Nomination Dossier and Management Plan that secured UNESCO World Heritage status for the Capitol Complex, which was inscribed as part of the Trans Border Serial Nomination on the Architectural Works of Le Corbusier.

Her portfolio encompasses a wide range of project types, including educational, institutional, commercial, housing, and transport-related buildings, hospitals, jails, trade fairs, and landscape design. This includes a tenure at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), where she was involved in various housing projects for different income groups. For the Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration, her work includes the design and planning of projects such as the District Administrative Complexes at Hoshiarpur and Moga, the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Khatkar Kalan, and the Judicial Academy in Chandigarh. She also contributed to the planning and architecture of Ucha Thara and Shahpurkandi for the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project. She is also credited with the design of public spaces such as the Garden of Silence, the Nature Interpretation Centre, and various themed gardens. She also designed trade fair pavilions, including the Chandigarh Pavilion at Pragati Maidan and the Chandigarh Trade Fair at Kala Gram.