Urban Collective Action Network
U-CAN convenes urban practitioners, governments, researchers and philanthropies to champion liveable cities for their residents, and communicate the need to attract capital to the urban sector.
Key attendees at U-CAN's first Annual Forum
In brief
U-CAN is a national network connecting urban practitioners, government officials, researchers and philanthropies working to build more liveable cities across India. Since launching, the network has brought together 500+ practitioners, 200+ government officials and 25+ cities to share what works and act on it together. Here's how U-CAN turns individual effort into collective action, and what it's helped build so far.
Why U-CAN?
Most of what shapes urban policy in India comes from a handful of metropolitan cities. But the real story, and much of the country's urban growth, is playing out in nearly 10,000 smaller towns and cities, often with little data and even less coordination between the people working to improve them.
U-CAN exists to be the connective tissue that's missing: a trusted space for practitioners, government, researchers and philanthropies to connect, learn from each other, and act together.
The spark for U-CAN emerged from two intertwined realisations. First, we may be running out of time for slow, linear change; our cities need bold, accelerated action built on collective momentum. Second, when the right people and ideas meet in a shared conversation, they can catalyse transformative change at scale. U-CAN was born from that belief: a space for collaboration beyond boundaries.
Shilpa KumarFounding Member, U-CAN and Managing Director & Head of India, British International InvestmentWhat we do
We create safe, structured spaces, both online and in-person, for members to share what's worked, what hasn't, and where new collaborations can begin.
We help members align strategies, pool resources and coordinate action around shared goals, working through the Urban Reforms Collective's engagement with government and a shared narrative on the role of Tier II and III cities in India's growth.
We communicate cities as complex, interconnected systems, making the case for the human and financial capital needed to address urban challenges collectively.
Impact
At a glance
01
The Annual Forum brought 100+ participants across 20+ organisations together, including government officials at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
02
The U-CAN Women's Fellowship's inaugural, all-women cohort of 6 professionals and 2 entrepreneurs worked through embedded practice and mentorship, on projects spanning Gurugram, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Chennai.
03
The Request for Collaboration initiative turned cross-organisation work into a governance platform now running in 3 Indian cities and Nairobi, Kenya.
04
Through 4 podcast episodes, 10+ webinars, and 30+ newsletters, U-CAN has built an audience for substantive conversation about India's urban challenges.
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