Team QoC - Question of Cities

A community of trees as a social network of greens

While a single tree, especially old and heritage ones like the khirni tree in Delhi or the Baobab in Mumbai’s Bandra, is priceless, a community of trees is what makes the urban green cover vibrant and self-sustaining. The roots of…

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…

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…

Lesser-known world summits for the planet and people

Away from the international glare of the annual climate summit, other equally important global conferences were held through October-November – the UN Conference of Parties on Biodiversity (also called COP16) which focused on funds to protect the world’s biodiversity but…

How bold urban designs are changing our relationship with cities

As cities develop, streets and public spaces are built to give more room to an increasing number of vehicles. In the process, these spaces lose their people-centric character, disconnecting residents from their cities. Some cities around the world have broken…

‘The Delhi metro is inclusive but also not equitable’

The metro in New Delhi was a game changer for women, making travel accessible, faster, and safer. Greater ridership by women is a good social indicator, says anthropologist and author Rashmi Sadana, because it means more women work, their health…

How cities are changing from ‘patriarchy in stone, brick’

Innumerable studies have revealed alarming data on the rising crimes against women in public spaces. Aiming to make the outdoors safer, a few cities across the world have taken deliberate steps and adopted ideas to make women feel safe and…

Mithi: More than a rainwater drain for Mumbai but tell that to the authorities

The quiet Mithi River turned hostile on July 26, 2005, flooding the city in the record 944 millimetres rainfall that day. Pinched and bent in places, narrowed by encroachments, treated like a sewage stream, the Mithi became the focus of…

Trees and urban forests under attack in cities – and what to do about it

This summer saw temperatures across the country, especially in northern states, soar well beyond 40 degrees Celsius. Even cooler hill stations sweated through summer. The searing intense heat has a message – do not cut trees. But, unfortunately, lakhs of…

Informal workers brave cruel heat for a few rupees a day

Outdoor and informal workers such as construction labourers, delivery drivers, hawkers and vendors are forced to brave the punishing heat to earn a few rupees a day. Their working conditions are deplorable, living conditions no better. As they bear the…