Archives - Question of Cities

Tree warriors of Thane and Navi Mumbai on their toes

Activists and environmentalists in these cities, off the Mumbai harbour, have intensified their fight to save trees from being cut for construction or choked by cement. The planned city of Navi Mumbai with its lush green nodes has turned into…

Tree lessons from the world for sustainable cities

From the Library of Trees in Milan to the Master Plan for Barcelona’s trees 2017-2037 at the centre of local policies, from green roofs in Copenhagen and Toronto to Soeul’s winding tree paths, cities around the world are finding ways…

Three trends in cities we will closely watch in 2025

As curtains come down on 2024, the hottest year on record, building sustainable cities has become more urgent than ever. What kinds of cities are being built across India as urbanisation picks up pace? What core ideas inform urban development?…

Gender-walking through Kolkata to reimagine a better city for all

Can walking around a city as women and other genders make it accessible and safer? Can a city be ungendered and welcoming of all? Kolkata’s Gender Community Walks have been getting students, professors, researchers and other professionals to walk in…

‘The Republic of Dhobi Talao’ with filmmaker Rafeeq Ellias

It rarely makes it to the chronicles and tourist guides of south Mumbai but Dhobi Talao is a world unto itself — a mix of communities, spaces, old buildings and ways of life, and a smorgasbord of food served in…

Meandering through
a non-touristy less-known Gangtok

The picturesque town nestled along the majestic Himalayas houses century-old colonial buildings and bungalows which people often miss. The Gangtok Walk takes participants on this tour showing buildings that appear ordinary but are steeped in layers of history. The walk…

As Hyderabad keeps transforming, Old City keeps its stories alive

Steeped in history, Hyderabad has a rich tapestry of stories of not just the many imposing ancient monuments but also its popular food culture. To know the city and its foundations is important to feel connected and try to protect…

What enraged us and what gladdened us in 2024: An overview

When we look back at the year fast closing upon us all, there was not much to cheer about how our cities were built, how the environment was undermined in the name of development, and how people mostly coped with…

Move the air pollution needle to smaller and neglected cities

Conversations and policies on air pollution are mostly centred on Delhi and Mumbai but other cities and towns have been facing toxic air too. These are, at best, footnotes in national conversations on air pollution. Authorities here go in for…

Can India’s National Clean Air Programme ensure good air and environmental justice?

The ambitious National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), in its framework and practice, missed the idea of people’s participation or ‘atmospheric citizenship’. Despite people’s awareness and lived experience of air pollution, their democratic participation in addressing the issue remains minimal. The…