Reclaiming the Past: How Heritage Precincts Can Power the Future of Cities
I visited the historic precincts of Shahjahanabad (Delhi), Chowk (Lucknow), Mylapore (Chennai) and Panchvati in Nashik recently on work expeditions. […]
Fellow Blogs
Cohesion and culture: what’s urban development got to do with (her)it(age)?
I remember the first community engagement workshop I helped organise as an urban designer twelve years ago for a street
Design of Platform — Composition, Representation and Depth of Participation
A Ward Committee Meeting in Hoodi Ward, Bengaluru In the previous blogs, I explored how laws, institutions, and collaborations create
Drawing Together: Co-Designing Public Spaces with Jaipur’s Adolescents
Source: Research on exploring the role of (co)design by Penny Hagen Designing with, not for, that’s the shift we set
Neighbourhoods as social glue: neglected and overlooked, but essential for connecting planners with citizens’ lived experiences
In my previous reflections, I explored how planning systems often exclude communities from shaping urban futures. Here, I focus on
Collaborative Governance: Partnerships Behind Effective Participation
A Slum Dwellers Association Meeting As a U-CAN fellow with Janaagraha, my study on Participatory Governance has shown that  Governance
Building Trust, One Conversation at a Time
Source: UNICEF’s Social and Community listening framework As we move from understanding public space challenges to shaping their solutions, a
How can planners empower communities to create more inclusive cities?
When I was in architecture school at the University of Texas at Austin 20 years ago, I was struck by
Water Security and the Role of a Rainwater Harvesting Calculator
Over the past few months, I have been focusing on water governance—not just as an enabler of growth but as
Smart Cities, Women, and Safety: When Technology Empowers or Excludes
“Smart cities promise efficiency, but can they also promise safety? For women, technology could be both a shield and a