Blogs By Our Fellows

As I reflect on this journey, from witnessing urban failures to peeling back their layered causes, exploring the potential of data and the importance of community voice, one truth remains: cities are not built by plans alone. They are shaped by people, communities, governance and decisions that often unfold in silos. When these elements are […]

As urban dwellers, we don’t encounter our cities as abstract zones, we live them. Silently and constantly, we experience both the conveniences and the discomforts our surroundings offer. We navigate them as residents, workers, and commuters, and depending on who we are and where we live, the “problem” shows up differently. City in transition from […]

Bengaluru means different things to different people. For me, it’s February mornings in the early 2000s—fog clinging to the window panes, roses blooming in my grandmother’s backyard, old scooters humming past sleepy lanes. The city felt soft, slow, and sure of itself. Today, I still wake up in Bengaluru—but it no longer feels the same. […]

I grew up in Jammu, a small city nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. Like many others, I left for bigger cities in search of better opportunities. But after years of studying and working across India’s metros, I felt a strong pull to return. That urge brought me back to Jammu, where I began […]

Ajmeri Gate- Gateway to Jaipur’s Heritage. Photo credit: Author The beautiful city of Jaipur has always been a major pin on my life’s map. Even though I grew up in Delhi, Jaipur was where my favourite cousins lived, and where I spent nearly every summer, winter, and Diwali break for 17 years. I vividly remember […]

Since childhood, I’ve been drawn to exploration, not just of places but of the stories and cultures within them. Inspired by Satyajit Ray’s Tarinicharan Banerjee, who chased meaning across 60 cities and 38 jobs, I’ve embraced curiosity as my compass. As I travelled across India, however, a troubling pattern emerged—women everywhere lived with a quiet, […]