VizChitra 2025: India's first community-driven Data Visualization conference

Session Description

• In this talk, I’ll take you behind the scenes of TownPlan Map, a platform that demystifies urban development through a data visualization lens by combining maps, public data, and storytelling to make real estate more transparent, accessible, and accountable. Built at the intersection of civic tech, visual design, and urban planning, TownPlan Map reimagines how citizens, builders, and policymakers interact with complex civic data in a way that is intuitive, informative, and visually engaging.

• We will explore our data visualization practices that bring public notices, zoning regulations, ongoing construction, satellite data, and liveability parameters such as green spaces, transport access, and social amenities into a unified visual interface. I’ll walk through how we cleaned and structured fragmented public data, designed for multiple user types, and balanced clarity with depth in map-based storytelling. We’ll also preview visual features like geo-spatial heatmaps, AI-enhanced notice search, and the way we are experimenting with forecasting layers and visual cues for decision-making.

Key Takeaways

1. Gain practical insights into how fragmented civic datasets can be transformed into clear, interactive, and engaging visual interfaces that enhance understanding and usability
2. Discover visualization techniques tailored to balance technical detail and visual storytelling for both everyday citizens and domain experts alike

Target audience

• This session is for anyone who cares about how their city is growing and how that growth is visualized whether you’re a designer, technologist, policymaker, or simply a concerned citizen. No technical expertise is required. Whether you’re curious about the forces shaping your neighborhood or interested in how data can improve urban life, this session offers accessible, visual insights into how our cities evolve and how data stories can empower communities.

Speaker Details

• Arjav Parikh builds tech products that users love, focusing on consumer-facing experiences across diverse sectors such as real estate, IoT, education, and non-profits. He loves to craft intuitive and impactful solutions that emphasize clarity, usability, and storytelling.

• He is the co-founder of TownPlan Map, a PropTech platform born out of a personal challenge to find a suitable neighbourhood in a city clouded by misinformation and opaque real estate practices. What started as a community-driven initiative with his co-founder Sohil Patel has grown into a free, public platform that uses AI and GIS-based visualisation to bring transparency and accessibility to India’s urban development landscape. Through thoughtful data storytelling, visual exploration, and interactive mapping, TownPlan Map empowers citizens and decision-makers alike to better understand liveability and the evolving fabric of their cities.