Team QoC - Question of Cities

‘Mumbai’s development not being done as per its extreme climate risks’

India’s financial capital, Mumbai, witnessed its worst flood in July 2005. Since then, it has found a place in the list of world’s coastal cities projected to be at risk from floods, cyclones, storm surges and sea level rise due…

Protest sites signal democratic strength of cities

India is not new to protests and demonstrations. Its many public spaces have been platforms to question the government of the day or employers, to raise voice against abuse and exploitation, to debate and demand change. They are hubs where…

Looking beyond heat action plans to blunt the impact of urban heat

As cities are being designed and redesigned, governments must look beyond heat measurements and Heat Action Plans to tackle the impact of rising temperatures. The dense urban sprawl, and loss of trees have exacerbated the effects of Climate Change. How…

Anniversary Edition

QoC Charter to make our cities habitable, equitable and sustainable

As cities have been undergoing development at the cost of ecology, they are fast becoming vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change. The new cities, dotted with high-rises and wide roads, have no space for pedestrians and eco-friendly bicycles. The…

Anniversary Edition

Making nature and people in cities the focal point of dialogues

As Question of Cities completes a year, we present to you some of the best and the most-read essays or on-ground stories through the year – with the added value of having the writers reflect on a few key questions.…

Anniversary Edition

Showcasing our one-year journey

As Question of Cities completes a year, here's a glimpse into how the journal came to be and how it shaped up. Editions that covered themes ranging from Climate Change to Independent India's first cities to gender made QoC's first…

‘Why Joshimath, Mussoorie and Nainital are also threatened towns’

When Joshimath, a hill town in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, suffered the destruction caused by subsidence in January, the large infrastructure projects were halted but it may have been a bit too late. It was mere damage control. Numerous committees,…

‘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…

How adopting green measures made air more breathable

As all major cities across the world grapple with poor air quality, it becomes imperative to take responsibility and translate plans into action. A series of seminars and talks from local to national and international level on Climate Change ends…

‘Gandhinagar is a green ghost capital city – and hardly Gandhian’

When Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar was conceptualised, it seemed like an ideal place to live in with a vast expanse of greenery. The city has grown in all directions, ignoring the Gandhian principles of minimalism, sustainability, and liveability which are crucial…