U-CAN Newsletter

Some of the most important shifts in urban governance happen through steady, behind-the-scenes work; in conversations, pilots, and quiet experiments that build over time. June gave us a glimpse of that across the U-CAN network.

At our virtual Steering Committee meeting, we paused to reflect on where we are and where we want to go. Members shared ideas to make U-CAN convenings more useful, from co-creating agendas to setting up more informal spaces for exchange. We also started a conversation on the kinds of stories we need to tell, especially those that highlight the work happening in Tier II and III cities.

This month’s updates show how that work is taking shape. In Kurukshetra, students led conversations on democracy and local government. In smaller cities across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, municipal officials shared practical air quality solutions with each other through peer learning that cuts across state boundaries. Efforts to improve clean air in cities like Dhule, Latur, and Solapur are as urgent and complex as those in big metros, and deserve equal attention.

We also saw how ideas developed in larger cities like Mumbai and Chennai, such as climate budgeting and planning reforms, can offer useful lessons for smaller cities if adapted with care.

The goal is not to replicate but to translate what works into very different local contexts.

U-CAN Fellows and member organisations are at the heart of this work. Whether it’s water resilience, housing, or mapping informal settlements, they are showing what it takes to make systems more responsive, one neighbourhood, one pilot, and one dialogue at a time.

As we prepare for U-CAN’s first annual forum in August, this work helps ground us. Strong networks, like strong cities, take time. They grow through collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to cities that are often overlooked but central to India’s urban future.

U-CAN’s mid-year Steering Committee check-in, held on June 18, focused on making our collective work more effective; starting with how we meet, plan, and tell stories. Members emphasized the need for convenings that are co-created, informal, and tailored to spark honest, grounded exchange. The goal: more meaningful conversations, better connections, and outcomes that carry forward.

We also reflected on U-CAN’s positioning. A proposal to frame the network as a platform for coordinated reform received strong interest, with members urging clarity around language, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment, especially in today’s policy environment.

Finally, we began shaping a clearer storytelling approach. Members underlined the need to move beyond metro-centric narratives and highlight the complexity, creativity, and leadership emerging from smaller cities. These are not scaled-down metros, they are dynamic systems in their own right.

With mixers, strategy meetings, and the Annual Forum around the corner, these insights will help ground the next phase of U-CAN’s journey.

Good cities need good governance, not just big projects

Urban governance in India is at a tipping point. In his recent article “Why bigger may not be better for Indian cities”, Partha Mukhopadhyay, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, critiques how political leaders across parties are approaching urbanisation. Rather than a cohesive strategy, what we often see is a patchwork of decisions shaped by short-term optics and fragmented priorities.

The article uses recent developments to illustrate this disconnect. The creation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which shifts power away from elected representatives to state-led control, reflects a growing trend toward administrative centralisation. At the same time, national investment plans like the Urban Challenge Fund and the ADB’s $10 billion urban program focus heavily on large metros, despite political messaging that highlights the importance of Tier II and III cities.

The article raises three critical questions:

1. Should we focus on big cities or smaller ones?

Large cities may produce more GDP, but they are also harder to govern and more vulnerable to rent-seeking. Smaller cities, with fewer entrenched interests, may be better positioned for meaningful reform.

2. Who governs our cities?

Models like the GBA may improve coordination but reduce democratic accountability. The article proposes a possible middle path: state control over capital cities, but full implementation of the 74th Amendment in other urban areas.

3. What defines a city?

As urban regions spill across municipal and even state boundaries, planning and governance need to shift from administrative lines to functional economic regions. Without this shift, city planning remains fragmented.

The article also critiques performative urban interventions, like Delhi’s mandate for anti-smog guns or costly metro systems that do little to solve mobility challenges. These projects may look modern, but they often lack real impact.

The author's central argument is clear: Before we invest in new infrastructure or announce bold reforms, we need to ask more fundamental questions about power, representation, and what it means to govern a city effectively.

📘Uncover the Insights →

Water resilience through youth action: A spotlight from UrbanAdda

At UrbanAdda 2025 in New Delhi, Shubhi Kesarwani, Co-founder & CEO of GuruJal and U-CAN Fellow, led a compelling set of sessions spotlighting youth leadership in water resilience.

Hosted by GuruJal as part of the larger event organised by Raahgiri Foundation and International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the Water Ambassador Award Ceremony honoured students from across India who conducted household water audits and led awareness efforts under the National Water Audit Survey.

Archana Varma, IAS, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission, delivered the keynote and launched the Rainwater Harvesting Calculator, developed by GuruJal, a new tool to support both individual and institutional recharge planning.

From championing youth to sparking systems conversations, it’s inspiring to see U-CAN Fellows like Shubhi shaping grounded, future-facing solutions, and bringing U-CAN’s collective vision to life!

Housing is not a service, it’s a right: Lessons in dignity, agency, and ownership from a

ROOH masterclass

What does it mean to truly see urban poor habitats, not as informal or temporary, but as homes, communities, and sites of resilience?

In the second session of the Roof Over Our Heads (ROOH) masterclass series on June 20, Fellows explored this question through powerful stories and grounded insights from Nairobi, Surat, and India’s ROOH Labs.

Christine and Pauline, grassroots leaders from Mukuru and Mathare in Nairobi, shared how their communities are mapping needs, shaping plans, and co-creating housing solutions with city governments. Their message was clear: collective agency is not just possible, it is already underway.

Smruti Jukur from SPARC introduced the ROOH framework, calling for a shift in how we think about housing for the urban poor. A short film from Surat offered a glimpse of what this looks like on the ground - homes built by communities that reflect their own aspirations.

The session closed with reflections from federation leader Bano Ansari and youth leaders Aryan, Sharmila, and Siddhi. They spoke candidly about lived challenges and shared how ownership, inclusion, and dignity are not abstract ideals but everyday practices.

Two sessions down, two more to go. The journey continues.

Explore the full Masterclass series to see what else Fellows are engaging with →

In 2024, India recorded over 2.3 lakh dengue cases; nearly a third of the global total. Strikingly, 68% of these were from urban areas, making it clear that dengue is not just a public health crisis. It is an urban crisis.

On World Dengue Day (June 15), the EquiHealth Alliance released a new outcomes paper, “Advancing Access and Strengthening Dengue Response,” launched by AVPN with ETI as technical partner. Drawing from work in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the report outlines a strategy that goes beyond treatment, focusing on prevention, data, and community engagement.

Why does this matter? Dengue outbreaks are shaped by more than viruses and vectors.

• It’s a planning issue because poor waste management, stagnant water, and housing conditions in growing cities create the perfect environment for mosquito breeding.
• It’s a climate issue because rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns are expanding the window for transmission.
• It’s a governance issue because effective prevention depends on how departments coordinate, how quickly data moves, and how well local systems respond.

From building early warning systems to supporting behaviour change, the report shows that dengue control needs more than medicine. It needs cities that are designed to prevent it in the first place.

📖Read the full report here →