Sustainability - Question of Cities

A kilometre in South Delhi, two starkly different densities

The building and people densities across the upscale Sainik Farms and the poorer Sangam Vihar are too stark to ignore – languid life in a low density neighbourhood in one, constant struggle amidst high density in the other. Both are…

‘Infrastructure and design of buildings matter, not only density’

Density is not the only factor in people in Mumbai’s slum rehabilitation colonies getting tuberculosis; a multi-disciplinary study showed that the built…

Density as urban good: A critical compendium

Density in India’s cities was not accidental. It was a part of an urban development approach and policy greatly influenced by the…

Gurgaon and its private
city-making model crumble. What next?

Promoted as a haven of urbanisation and India’s showcase of private entities building a city, Gurgaon turned out to be a case…

Overtourism has led to touristified destinations, unsustainable ecology, and angry locals

What was once pleasurable travel has turned into a massive global industry of tourism. While its place in the economy of a…

Ecotourism: Small steps forward but a giant leap remains

Ecotourism, as a path to make tourism sustainable for nature and people, is still a fraction of India’s gigantic tourism industry, mostly…

Community-based tourism offers hope and sustainability in the Northeast

Away from the colour and clamour of mega festivals, in a few towns and villages of Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya, community-based tourism…

Why annoyed locals are pushing back on tourists
in India

The sheer number of tourists descending into Goa, clogging up roads, raising property prices, disrupting daily lives of locals has taken a turn for the worse in two heritage wards in Panaji where some residents turned resentful. In other sought-after…

International tourist hotspots, hit by protests, seek to reduce footfalls

Overtourism in some of the world's most popular destinations such as Barcelona, Mallorca, Venice, and Bali has led to a series of…

‘Better dust upon leaves than in the lungs of the citizens’

Patrick Geddes, the Scottish biologist, conservationist, sociologist and town planner who spent long years working in India, believed it was important that…