Dr. Agrawal is an urban and regional planner whose research interests include land use and regional planning, international development, migration, human rights and climate resilience. His most recent works are on human rights and municipal bylaws, and regional and rural planning in Alberta. He has also recently begun a number of projects in partnership with First Nations communities in Canada's north.

His international works include high density rural regions of India, effects of tall buildings in Colombo, Sri Lanka and evaluation of housing affordability programs in the United Arab Emirates. His newly co-authored book “Understanding India’s new Approach to Spatial planning and Development: A Salient Shift?” is published by the Oxford University Press. He recently completed a SSHRC/IRCC funded project on documenting the settlement experience of Syrian refugees in Alberta. His SSHRC-funded pan-Canadian work on human rights are currently ongoing.

Dr. Agrawal is the inaugural Director of the University of Alberta’s School of Urban and Regional Planning.