Urban Planning | Development and design of urban landscapes

Research: How local communities can assert voice in mapping

Marginalised urban communities bear disproportionate impacts of climate change with heat stress, floods and so on, but they are hardly consulted in the formal climate action plans. Community-led climate mapping and action can actively shape local understanding of climate change…

Singareni Colony’s story of localised climate mapping

Neighbourhoods in cities are distinctively shaped by terrain, built environment, typologies, social dynamics, politics, and historical and spatial contexts. As a result,…

Communities are central to climate plans and action

From advocacy work and campaigns against unsustainable development projects, especially in areas with marginalised populations, mapping the areas for climate vulnerability was…

‘Vulnerability mapping directly improves lives of those most affected by climate risks’

The devastation from floods, droughts and heat across India every year has heightened the need for effective strategies and adaptive measures. The…

‘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 —…

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…

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…

City averages not good enough to measure air pollution

The average Air Quality Index shows only the central or typical value. It cannot be an accurate representation of air quality in different areas of cities. Beyond the average, it’s clear that some areas have cleaner air and better readings…

Lahore’s dangerous smog brought disease and death – and touched diplomacy

Through most of November, Lahore and Multan, among other places in Pakistan, suffered record-breaking air pollution that saw Air Quality Index in…

COP is broken. Can India call it out, reimagine climate action?

The recently-concluded Conference of Parties, COP29, showed the process is compromised, hijacked by fossil fuels lobbies and developed countries, and unable to…