Cities and the Urban Imperative

Governing India's Metropolises

Editors: Joel Ruet, Stephanie Tawa Lama-Rewal

This volume, based on case studies from four Indian metropolises (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad) looks at six public services: primary education, healthcare, subsidised food, slum rehabilitation, water and sanitation, and solid waste management, to try and understand who actually plans and manages urban affairs, how they do it, whose interests are kept in mind and under what conditions these processes can become more co-operative. 

The studies reveal certain political and economic trends that point to the increasing appropriation of the state by an enlarged social elite, in turn highlighting the importance of class in the interactions between actors and the power equations at play.

Welcome to the Urban Revolution

Author: Jeb Brugmann

The book illustrates how India's continued rise in inextricably linked to its success in becoming an urban nation. Drawing on two decades of fieldwork the author takes the readers on a street-level tour of the world's cities, challenging conventional thinking about globalisation and revealing cities as the medium for revolutionary change. Jeb Brugmann argues that the 21st century's greatest challenges can - and must - be met through improved approaches to city building. Over the next 30 years, India's urban population will double. In ten years, some 20 million new urban migrants, largely poor, will join the 62 million slum dwellers in India today. The country's productivity, economic efficiency, and political stability, he explains, depends upon a renewal of Indian forms of urbanism, which cannot be substituted with imported designs and master planning schemes for the `next Shangai'. Exploring the successes of cities like Barcelona, Chicago, Vancouver, and Brazil's Curitiba, Brugmann shows how the world's most progressive cities develop their own `practices of urbanism', from the sidewalk up. 

Book Launch by FICCI and NIUA on 1, July 2009

Book Launch of, "Welcome to Urban Revolution" by Jeb Brugmann, jointly organised by FICCI and NIUA on July 1,2009 at FICCI, New Delhi. Mr. Pradeep Singh, Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, FICCI welcomed the participants. Mr. Jeb Brugmann made a presentation on the book.

Dr. Isher Ahluwalia, Prof. Om Mathur and Prof. Chetan Vaidya made brief remarks as panel members. The meeting was attended by over 50 urban experts, officials and citizens. The book could provide important inputs for developing an urban strategy for India. Mr. Pradeep Singh thaked Mr. Brugmann and all the participants.

An exploration of sustainability in the provision of basic urban services in Indian Cities

Launched on 17 April 2009 by The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) in partnership with Sustainable Urbanism International and Arghyam, and with support from Rohini and Nandan Nilekani highlights the state of affairs in cities, and also makes recommendations for making cities sustainable.

The study begins an important and necessary debate about urban sustainability in India. By looking closely at urban local bodies and their provision of basic services, identifying gaps in their effectiveness and ways to improve service delivery, cities can begin the process of reform towards sustainable provision even within the existing administrative and institutional framework. Putting policies and regulations in place to promote energy efficient buildings is an extra step that city governments can take in reform towards sustainability.

New Architecture & Urbanism: Development of Indian Traditions

- a publication of INTBAU India.

INTBAU, the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism, is a network based organzation, working in the area of the promotion of tradition in construction and in promoting humane and people centred urbanism. The publication "New Architecture & Urbanism" presents the arguments, axioms and case studies epitomizing the contemporary utility of tradition in New Architecture & Urbanism within the following thematic areas:

• Tradition and Our Built Environment
• New Ways of Looking at Heritage: Processes & Contextual Frameworks
• Sustainable Places, Buildings and Communities
• Continuing Traditions in New Architecture & Urbanism: Case studies in Form & Place-Making
• Contemporary Relevance of Traditional Principles in New Architecture & Urbanism

For further details of the book or INTBAU, please visit: http://www.intbau.org/NAUDIT.htm 

India is witnessing great social, economic, political and cultural change. This book examines the central ideas that have shaped modern India, and offers original perspective on past, present and future. The first part of the book looks at traditional ideas and how they've changed over the years. And the final sections deal with the ideas that will shape India's future: on health, energy, the environment etc.

He also gets to the heart of charged debates about caste politics, labour reform, infrastructure, higher education, the English language in India and the role of the state in a globalized world where the wealth of big corporations exceeds that of some nations.

India is in the middle of a huge transformational process, Nilekani argues, and only a safety net of ideas-from genuinely inclusive democracy to social security, from public health to sustainable energy-can transcend political agendas and safeguard the country's future.

A World Bank Publication

Climate Resilient Cities is a tool for city governments to better understand how to plan for climate change impacts and impending natural disasters through sound urban planning. It equips local governments with information to actively engage in training, capacity building and capital investment programs that are identified as priorities for building sustainable, resilient communities. A step-by-step self-assessment challenges policy makers to think about the resources needed to combat natural disasters through an innovative risk and vulnerability identification tool.

It provides a range of city-level examples of sound practices around the world and demonstrates that there are many practical actions that cities can take to build resilience.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation

'India: Urban Poverty Report 2009' was released on 3 February 2009 by Kumari Selja, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. The report provides an idea of the dynamics of urban poverty, its impact on the economy and the possible ways of redressal.

India's first report on urban poverty has been prepared with the support of UNDP and by eminent academicians and researchers under the supervision of Professor Amitabh Kundu.

The report is not on the poor in urban areas but a report on urbanisation keeping poverty at the centre of the analysis. It emphasises on the need to deliver basic services to the urban poor and addressing the issue in holistic manner with the participation of all stakeholders.

Among others, the report covers article on Alleviating Urban Poverty: Income Growth, Income Distribution or Decentralization by Prof. Om Prakash Mathur elaborating on the opportunities and constraints in programmes, policies and in decentralized governance. The article on Elite Capture Marginalization of the Poor In Participatory Urban Governance: A Case of Resident Welfare Associations In Metro Cities by Debolina Kundu brings out the capture of urban governance by the elite and consequent marginalization of the poor in metropolitan cities.

It is hoped that the report would provide a baseline data and policy guidelines in India which will be detailed enough to enable the governments to develop effective and sustainable urban poverty reduction policies.

A paper on Addressing Gender Concern in India's Urban Renewal Mission by Dr. Renu Khosla is published by UNDP-India. It makes a case for mainstreaming gender issues within JNNURM and understanding gender differences in urban infrastructure development. The paper provides guidelines and sets out a roadmap for integrating gender issues within the projects and reforms of JNNURM.

Courts, Panchayats and Nagarpalikas: Background and Review of the Case Law

Author:  K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

The 73rd and the 74th Constitutional Amendments became law more than a decade ago but the implementation in the different states has been tardy and uneven. The course of implementation has also been marked by numerous disputes, both political and legal. It is estimated there are more than 500 cases which have been adjudicated during the period in the various High Courts and the Supreme Court.

This book is the outcome of a comprehensive study which seeks to bring out the genesis, the points of jurisprudence and what can be regarded as settled law common to both the panchayats and the municipalities pertaining to issues like elections, delimitation, reservation, planning and functional domain etc.

The book is of interest and use to policy makers, scholars and researchers interested in decentralization as well as the legal fraternity.

Unlocking Land Values To Finance Urban Infrastructure

World Bank, PPIAF

Author:  George E. Peterson

Land-based financing offers powerful tools that can help pay for urban infrastructure investment. Land-based financing techniques are playing an increasingly important role in financing urban infrastructure in developing countries. They complement other capital financing approaches, such as local government borrowing, and can provide price signals that make the urban land market more efficient.

The book Unlocking Land Values to Finance Urban Infrastructure examines the theory underlying different instruments of land-based finance, such as betterment levies, developer exactions, impact fees, and the exchange of publicly owned land assets for infrastructure. It provides a wealth of case study illustrations of how different land-based financing tools have been implemented, and the lessons learned from these experiences. This practical guide is designed to help expand the role of land-based financing in urban capital budgets in a way that strengthens urban infrastructure finance and urban land markets.

The title will be a great resource for a broad audience ranging from international consultants to national and municipal officials.

About the Author: George E. Peterson is a consultant to the World Bank and other international institutions in municipal finance and infrastructure investment.

THE ENDURING BABU : Memoirs of a Civil Servant

Author:  K.C.Sivaramakrishnan

The Enduring Babu : Memoirs of a Civil Servant, published by Har-Anand publications is a collection of narratives based on real life incidents of which Mr. Sivaramakrishnan was a witness during his cadre as a civil servant in West Bengal and Delhi. The principle purpose of this string of narratives is to share what the author has seen and heard, in hope, it will help lighten one’s life and sustain the search. Mr. Sivaramakrishnan says that curiosity, a sense of humor and the patience to wait for answers to many questions in life are essential ingredients of any search. The chapters present various stages and events during the induction into the service and subsequent postings. This is a very interesting reading material for academicians, researchers and practitioners working in the development sector in India.   

World Cities and Urban Form Fragmented, Polycentric, Sustainable?

Editors: 

• Mike Jenks, Daniel Kozak and Pattaranan Takkanon Routledge, London and New York, 2008, pp.373

The book puts together the theoretical and practical knowledge in the prevailing debate about polycentric urban development at the regional and city level.  At the regional level, it discusses the forms that can increase sustainability.  At the city level the book discusses examples from Europe, Asia and North America to show how both planning and important designs can turn cities into world-class cities and also can enhance sustainability. 

It is widely accepted that form of cities are changing.  The book explains that with spatial changes two factors are found to be important, one is polycentrism and the other is fragmentation.  Cities have extended beyond monocentric compact sustainable cities to polycentric cities with different centres connected by efficient public transport systems.  The phenomenon of urban fragmentation is another characteristics of large cities, which may happen due to globalisation, neoliberal economic policies or through interventions with unintended consequences. 

The book also relates polycentric development of cities to urban fragmentation in physical, cultural, social and economic context.  It cites examples and experiences of great world-class cities, which would guide cities towards sustainable urban forms.  Finally the book finds that cities can be sustainable with emerging polycentric forms following the principles of containment, sustainable built form and design, forms encouraging walking and cycling, efficient public transport systems and inclusive growth policies.

Solid Waste Management in Indian Cities: Status and Emerging Practices  

Editors: 

• Darshini Mahadevia, Professor, Faculty of Planning and Public Policy, CEPT University, Ahmedabad 

• Jeanne M. Wolfe, Emeritus Professor, School of Urban Planning, Mc Gill University, Montreal

Waste management and disposal is a growing environmental concern in the urban areas. Proper disposal of the urban wastes is not only essential for reducing its adverse human health and environmental impacts, but also presents a large potential for resource recovery. 

This book is the result of comparative research work on solid waste management (SWM) projects undertaken in seven cities in India . The chapters focus on solid waste management practices, bottlenecks and interesting innovations in the case study cities.

The introductory chapter brings together urban governance, role of decentralization and SWM framework in India . The second chapter offers a detailed overview of solid waste management practices, various actors involved, institutional arrangements and financing system. The following chapters present case studies of SWM practices in the cities of Bangalore , Hyderabad , Kolkata, Mumbai, Ranchi , Suryapet and Vegalpur. The rationale behind selecting these cities is that they put forth appealing innovation at some level of practice. Every case study examines in detail the scale of the project, new efforts and initiatives in SWM, environmental impacts, concerns and sustainability issues, and potential for up-scaling.                                                

The book offers lot of detailed, systematic information with regard to managing solid waste.It is a useful read for urban planners, municipal officials, city managers, and researchers.  

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities

Editors:

• -Mike Jenks, Professor Emeritus and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, Oxford Brookes University, U.K.

• Nicola Dempsey, Postgraduate Researcher, Oxford Brookes University , U.K.

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities presents several new and interesting research about urban design and forms and how they can be made more sustainable in the future. Providing an accessible presentation of the research in sustainable urban planning and design, this book illustrates the sustainable plans and schemes to show how they stand up against the latest research.

The book provides a dense collection of papers, divided in three sections, the first provides the big picture discussing the different spatial urban concepts, the second offers examples of design in high and low density context. The last section considers various other aspects like changing work patterns, renewable energy use, solar energy, and high-rise buildings that have impact on the sustainability of the urban form. After concentrating on the planning and design of cities, the conclusion, compares the research to large-scale design examples that have been proposed and/or implemented over the past decade to give a vision for the future that might be achievable.  

It offers architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners and urban geographers a view of how urban forms can become more sustainable, energy efficient and greener.

Growth in Urban India

Issues of Governance

Author: K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

The paper gives a broad indication of the characteristics, dimensions and magnitude of urban growth, impact of migration and mobility within the cities. It argues that the problems of urban governance cannot be perceived or solved within the limits of a given administrative jurisdiction. Setting the physical limits of urbanisation has always been difficult and municipal boundaries rarely reflect the shape and size of urbanisation.

It also discusses the existing institutional arrangements in particular the structure emerged in the 74th Constitution Amendment for urban management. Finally, some of the more detailed requirements of managing urban spaces are discussed.

There are several tables illustrating data related to population growth, migration and transport.  

Municipal Finance in India: An Assessment

• PK Mohanty

• BM Misra

• R. Goyal 

• PD Jeromi

This study, entitled Municipal Finance In India: An Assessment undertaken for the Development Research group (DRG), Reserve Bank of India examines the performance of Urban Local Bodies in India. Using data from 35 Metropolitan Municipal Corporations, the study attempts to analyze the reasons for their differential performance with respect to fiscal parameters and provision of civic amenities. In the light, of the findings of the study and international experience in this regard, the study makes suggestions for improving the municipal financial system in India.