Archives - Question of Cities

Women architects: From slogans to struggle in making gender-inclusive cities

The work of women planners and architects has received little acknowledgment or visibility. That their perspective leads to more inclusive and sustainable cities is now accepted in some circles, their involvement has led to gender issues reflecting in urban plans,…

They broke the glass ceiling to build and design sustainable cities

When we say planners and architects in cities, how many women come to mind? Few and far between. Though women have been an inalienable part of these disciplines for decades, their challenges were tougher than those of their male counterparts,…

‘We need to design and plan better cities for diverse groups of women’

Women’s lives have rarely been at the heart of planning and design of cities. Even when they have been, city making has prioritised safety, especially in the transport system and public spaces. Without underplaying the need for safer cities, there…

Saving Rani Bagh with women’s power and collaborative campaigns

Women from diverse backgrounds joined hands to save one of Mumbai’s oldest green spaces and botanical garden, Rani Bagh, from construction. Their painstaking and tedious paperwork, awareness campaigns, audio-visual presentations, RTI applications, and archival information gradually ensured that the Brihanmumbai…

Kitchen stories: Documenting experiences in the least planned spaces of homes

The way a kitchen is designed in a house, it is usually not a comfortable place. The patriarchal thinking that a woman’s place is in the kitchen has pushed the most important space in a house into a corner. This…

What if women designed the city? A voyage from brutalism to biophilia

Biophilic design which addresses the disconnect between people and the natural world, when adopted by women, can foster healthier and beautiful places. It holds the potential to rectify the negative impacts of Brutalist architecture, descending from modernist planning, which codified…

How most Indian cities moved from public to private transport modes

Public transport, often led by a robust network of cleaner fuel-driven buses, is increasingly seen as the silver bullet in fast-growing cities to reduce congestion on roads, lower transport emissions which contribute to air pollution, and make commuting affordable for…

Delhi’s buses hold the key to better public transport and climate action

Between 1981 and 2021, motor vehicles in Delhi increased by a staggering 21 times, showing people’s shift away from public transport. This has contributed to the annual CO2 emissions of 69.4 million tonnes, equal to the combined emissions of Hyderabad,…

Cycling in Mumbai: Frail and failed transit plans for the masses

The climate-friendly mode of transport has been sidelined in the city’s mobility infrastructure which backs large automobile-centric projects. The absence of dedicated cycling tracks makes roads unsafe for cyclists who are forced to share the right of way with speeding…

The framework for public transport in our cities: Thoughts and suggestions

An efficient public transport system must compete with the convenience and comfort of a personal vehicle. The choice of the public transport system must be guided by a city’s mobility vision stated in its Comprehensive Mobility Plan. Its operations need…