Alexandra Jerdee ’25
Computer Science
Urban Tree Cover Distributions Associated With Aggregate Development and Social Hierarchies: A Case Study of the City of Pune, India
My work in examined urban tree cover disparities in relation to developmental indicators in 146 neighborhoods in the city of Pune, India. Urban tree cover refers to the area covered under a tree’s canopy in an urban area. This metric has been shown to shape environmental and human health outcomes. The topic of urban tree cover distribution disparities in the Global South has been relatively understudied. I used a random forest machine learning model and satellite images to derive a map of urban tree cover in Pune in the R programming language. I also used principal component analysis applied to public infrastructure and private assets ownership datasets to assess development levels across neighborhoods, which I examined alongside my urban tree cover data. Thanks to the guidance and encouragement from my mentors, I gained a better understanding of multidimensional inequalities in Indian cities, and I honed many technical skills that are transferable to my broader academic interests. I now have greater competency in the programs Python, R, and some GIS softwares, as well as increased confidence in my academic reading and writing.
2022
Urban Sustainability
Urban Nexus Lab, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University - Princeton, New Jersey
Anu Ramaswami, Sanjay Swani ’87 Professor of India Studies, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies and the High Meadows Environmental Institute; Bhartendu Pandey, Associate Professional Specialist, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering