Budget by the people
Pune Municipal Corporation has been successfully implementing participatory budgeting since 2005
Here comes the megacities
By 2100, at least 10 cities are predicted to have population over 50 million. How can society keep pace?
From Africa, with will
For the first time, African countries flagged off urbanisation as a factor impacting climate change at the recently held Africa Carbon Forum …
People trying to curb people
With the Vatican already on the offensive and various unresolved rifts, fireworks are definitely on the agenda of the upcoming population …
The statistician who "planned" India
P C Mahalanobis can rightly be called the father of Indian statistics. Today, in the year of his birth centenary, he is remembered not only as …
Social sector spending by UPA regime
The UPA government in its 10 years in power increased spending in social welfare sectors but not on agriculture, the backbone of rural economy
Urban commons
Down to Earth reaches out to experts to understand the scope and limitations of reimagining urban commons
No fire exits in Delhi
Bad urban planning and a corrupt administration means fires will continue to claim lives in Delhi
Urban villages - an oxymoron?
Urbanisation in developing countries is marked by large increases in population and has consequences such as sprawl. As a physical phenomenon, …
Deadly target
Health experts blame Centre's over-emphasis on women's sterilisation for the Chhattisgarh tragedy
World @ 8 billion: WHO handbook now covers family planning during epidemics, high-risk HIV
Practical measures detailed to support the continuity of family planning services during emergencies
Walk the village talk
After raising the political profile of village councils, government wants to downsize them
Earth day musings: Can this pandemic change the idea of a city?
Post-pandemic, the new normal in our cities need to be more humane and inclusive and urban renewal must be designed on a human scale
Urban commons: Rethink their management
Loss of urban ‘commons’ and ‘communing’ among larger public have a direct impact on the way a city and its society are …
What Nigerian cities can learn from the rest of the world
The rapid rate of urban population growth, fuelled by massive rural to urban migration, has overwhelmed public sector resources in the country
New ride sharing algorithm promises better deal for riders and drivers
Researchers at IIT-Delhi have developed an algorithm that can guide taxi drivers to take a route where they can find more commuters for sharing
Bike-share companies are transforming US cities – and they're just getting started
The humble bicycle, aided by smartphone technology, is resurging as an urban transportation option
The waste conundrum
An experiment of decentralized solid, liquid and energy management in a Delhi colony is unique because the efficient functioning of a well …
New-look farming fumbles to an erratic start
The Planning Commission is embarking on a new approach to agriculture planning. But state governments and the finance ministry are reluctant to …
Community welfare works as a contraceptive
In Pakistan, they are controlling population growth by raising the living standards of local communities through Pasbaan, the social …
Unfriendly neighbourhoods
In their rush to meet the housing requirements of cities, planners are turning a blind eye to the quality of the built environment
Incomplete irrigation projects overshoot budget
The state governments' failure to complete irrigation projects has led to an escalation of their combined cost by close to a whopping one lakh …
Diesel prices: don’t miss the point
Fuel price reform is inevitable and necessary, but clean fuel and public transport agenda for health protection must not be derailed
Institutional monitoring of PPP projects made mandatory
Agencies, ministries implementing such projects will need to set up monitoring units to ensure private concessionaires follow Planning Commission …
Bihar plans policy change to push urbanisation
The state government has prepared a draft seeking changes to ‘old criteria’ for notifying semi-urban or rural area as urban