Archives - Question of Cities

Why cities must reconnect with their rivers, renew river-people relationship

Rivers are slowly being erased from people’s lives and imagination in cities. Seen as water sources, as dumping yards for waste, and their floodplains as developable land, they remain disconnected from the rhythms of urban life. Rivers are, can be,…

Vrishabhavathi: A river’s struggle in Bengaluru’s landscape

Our imagination of rivers often contrasts with what we see in our cities. They are integrated into urban systems as stormwater drains, overlaid with sewage lines, carry domestic waste, and in the case of Vrishabhavathi River, become an outlet for…

To rekindle Delhi’s relationship with the Yamuna, clean it up

The Yamuna has been Delhi’s lifeline for centuries but the city now has a severed, mostly utilitarian, relationship with it. Only two percent of the Yamuna flows through Delhi but the city is responsible for 76 percent of its pollution…

‘Rivers have emotions, like human beings. Their waters rise’

As the plan to develop the Mula-Mutha riverfront in Pune gathers momentum, many residents and environmental activists believe it’s a death knell for the river. Architect Sarang Yadwadkar, among those in the forefront resisting the project, thinks that Pune may…

Giving rivers room to move: Rethinking flood management for nature and people

The idea of allowing rivers to reclaim space on their floodplains is not new. There have been programmes such as the ‘Room for the River’ in the Netherlands since the mid-1990s and the ‘Making Space for Water’ strategy in England.…

Overtourism has led to touristified destinations, unsustainable ecology, and angry locals

What was once pleasurable travel has turned into a massive global industry of tourism. While its place in the economy of a nation or city is well acknowledged, there are increasing instances, from across the world and within India, of…

Ecotourism: Small steps forward but a giant leap remains

Ecotourism, as a path to make tourism sustainable for nature and people, is still a fraction of India’s gigantic tourism industry, mostly driven by committed individuals or small groups. While nature-based farm stays, zero waste destinations, hotels using glass bottles…

Community-based tourism offers hope and sustainability in the Northeast

Away from the colour and clamour of mega festivals, in a few towns and villages of Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya, community-based tourism is gaining ground. Local communities provide travel experiences in ways sustainable to themselves and ecology, showing that tourism…

Why annoyed locals are pushing back on tourists
in India

The sheer number of tourists descending into Goa, clogging up roads, raising property prices, disrupting daily lives of locals has taken a turn for the worse in two heritage wards in Panaji where some residents turned resentful. In other sought-after…

International tourist hotspots, hit by protests, seek to reduce footfalls

Overtourism in some of the world's most popular destinations such as Barcelona, Mallorca, Venice, and Bali has led to a series of protests this month and local administrations were pushed to impose restrictions. Hordes of tourists have brought profits to…