Dr. Sai Balakrishnan

Associate Professor

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Biography

Sai Balakrishnan is an associate professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as co-director of the Global Metropolitan Studies program and chair of the undergraduate major in urban studies. His research and teaching focus broadly on global urban inequalities, with particular attention to urbanization, planning, and institutions in the Global South. Balakrishnan's current work involves a global-comparative analysis of technopolitics in land-use governance, including the study of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) in cities like New York and Mumbai. He is collaborating on a book that examines caste capitalism and the geographies of uneven development in India from the late colonial period to the present.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

— Present

University of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA

Teaching and conducting research in the Department of City and Regional Planning.

Awards

#

William Holland Prize

#

Gill Chin Lim Award

Courses

Urbanization Developing Countries

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.