Archives - Question of Cities

How Kerala is coping with one of its harshest summers

Many cities across Kerala experienced a high heat summer in early March. Experts say there is no doubt that this summer will see temperatures up by one to 1.5 degrees Celsius, even 2 degrees Celsius in some parts. The high…

Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan has more hot air, less gas to propel it forward

The idea of Heat Action Plan for cities has come a long way from 2013 when the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation rolled out its plan for the city that was scorched by a heat wave resulting in at least 1,344 deaths.…

The story of India’s scorched cities in four maps

Why India’s cities need to prepare and implement Heat Action Plans is evident in the maps which clearly show the rising frequency of heat waves and higher summer-like temperatures before the season sets in. From an average of 7.4 days…

Urban festivals: Beyond art are difficult dialogues and political mobilisation

Cities have had a romance with urban art and culture festivals for centuries. Festivals showcase their most fetching aspects, display local talent through exhibits and the performing arts, and, in the process claim – or reclaim – public spaces in…

‘Urban art festivals are event-centric. They can be visceral provocations and part of a larger ongoing public discourse’

It was the festival time in Mumbai with a number of them making the most of the city’s short-lived winter. Each neighbourhood festival had a different social fabric, brought people together including communities that are otherwise in the margins, asked…

Urban landscape changes as stories, talents emerge from Mumbai’s lesser-known public spaces

The Govandi Arts Festival was an event of many firsts. It brought together communities and people who shared one platform, but many messages. The youth, who had disconnected themselves with the area, found hope when their talents were appreciated. This…

How Kerala is coping with one of its harshest summers

Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan has more hot air, less gas to propel it forward

The story of India’s scorched cities in four maps

Urban festivals: Beyond art are difficult dialogues and political mobilisation

‘Urban art festivals are event-centric. They can be visceral provocations and part of a larger ongoing public discourse’

Urban landscape changes as stories, talents emerge from Mumbai’s lesser-known public spaces

Creating the right environment and spaces to make voices heard

How adopting green measures made air more breathable

Mumbai needs an Ecological Plan beyond the quick fixes for air pollution

‘I need to provide for my family, the air doesn’t matter’