The global cost of disasters is growing: The economic burden of disasters is intensifying. While the direct costs of disasters averaged $70–80 billion a year between 1970 and 2000, between 2001 and 2020 these annual costs grew significantly to $180–200 billion. But the real cost is far higher. Disaster costs …
The cities of 2030, 2050 and 2100 will be very different from today. They will be cities transformed in their demographic composition, in their implementation of technology and in their wider ecological contexts. The challenges of building cities sustainable enough to meet the chang ing needs of the future will …
The planet is becoming increasingly urban. In many ways, the urbanization wave and the unprecedented urban growth of the past 20 years have created a sense of urgency and an impetus for change. Some 54 percent of the world population—3.9 billion people—lives in urban areas today; thus, it has become …
Today 60 percent of Moroccans reside in urban areas, as opposed to 35 percent in 1970. By 2050, nearly three-quarters of the country’s population will be living in cities. Along with the concentration of people, urbanization will lead to the increasing concentration of economic activities in cities, which today are …
This paper makes the case for a coordinated or systems approach to urban finance. Traditional approaches to urban finance have often focused on actions that cities can take, such as issuing municipal bonds or securing a good credit rating. Much of the recent literature emphasizes mechanisms such as debt financing, …
The objective of this paper is to analyse the finances of Mumbai, the largest Indian city. The population in the core city (central business district) of Mumbai has actually shown a decline between 2001 and 2011 census, and the population in the area covered under the Municipal Corporation of Greater …
National Urban Policy Framework (NUPF) outlines an integrated and coherent approach towards the future of urban planning in India. The NUPF is structured along two lines. Firstly, at the NUPF’s core lie ten sutras or philosophical principles. Secondly, the ten sutras are applied to ten functional areas of urban space …
The aim of The State of African Cities 2018: The geography of African investment report is to contribute to development policies that can turn African cities into more attractive, competitive and resilient foreign direct investment (FDI) destinations. Attracting global FDI is highly competitive and crosses various geographic scales, therefore regional …
In urban infrastructure the investment decisions taken today will shape tomorrow. Despite the critical importance of infrastructure for urban development, financing to scale up smarter, more sustainable urban infrastructure remains an immense challenge, particularly in emerging and developing economies. This paper provides an overview of financing challenges and opportunities for …
Regenerating Urban Land draws on the experience of eight case studies from around the world. The case studies outline various policy and financial instruments to attract private sector investment in urban regeneration of underutilized and unutilized areas and the requisite infrastructure improvements. In particular, each case study details the project …
Mumbai along with Thiruvananthapuram tops the Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS) 2015 released by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy in New Delhi. Chandigarh was ranked lowest amongst the 21 Indian cities. The third edition (2015) of Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS) carried out by Janaagraha …
The number of people in South Asia's cities rose by 130 million between 2000 and 2011--more than the entire population of Japan. This was linked to an improvement in productivity and a reduction in the incidence of extreme poverty. But the region's cities have struggled to cope with the pressure …
The Government of India (GoI) initiated the ‘100 Smart Cities Mission’ in 2014. This has triggered deliberations across the country on the concept of smart cities, the need and the orientation of the Mission in the context of India’s present urbanisation scenario. The concept of a ‘Smart City’ is a …
In the last 30 years, China’s record economic growth lifted half a billion people out of poverty, with rapid urbanization providing abundant labor, cheap land, and good infrastructure. While China has avoided some of the common ills of urbanization, strains are showing as inefficient land development leads to urban sprawl …
Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship & Democracy released the 2nd Edition of the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS). ASICS 2014 is an objective benchmarking exercise of Indian cities and undoubtedly the most comprehensive evaluation of Urban India. Covering 21 cities, the survey throws up interesting insights on citizen participation, public …
A new report recommends that China curb rapid urban sprawl by reforming land requisition, give migrants urban residency and equal access to basic public services, and reform local finances by finding stable revenues and by allowing local governments to borrow directly within strict central rules. As China’s people are increasingly …
This report provides Mayors and other policymakers with a policy framework and diagnostic tools to anticipate and implement strategies that can prevent their cities from locking into irreversible physical and social structures. At the core of the policy framework are the three main dimensions of urban development. Planning — Making …
The study: ‘Bridging the Urban Housing Shortage in India’, a joint effort of NAREDCO and KPMG in India, discusses at length on the rising trend of urbanisation in India and the looming urban housing shortage. It further deliberates on the constraints faced by real estate developers in their bid to …
The JNNURM was launched in December 2005 with the objective of reforms-driven fast track development of cities across the country, with focus on efficiency in urban infrastructure, service delivery mechanism, community participation and accountability of ULBs/Parastatal agencies towards citizens. The performance audit covered the implementation of the JNNURM scheme for …
Asian cities need to change as they grow says this new ADB report and emphasises on "greening" of a number of urban infrastructure services such as urban transport, provision of water and sanitation services, waste management and energy sources for urban areas in the region. Asia's cities have been the …
Visits to seven small towns in north India reveal how paucity of funds, slipshod planning and a dearth of capabilities have contributed to poor civic services and inadequate infrastructure. Citizens in some areas have organised themselves into neighbourhood committees to tackle problems that the urban bodies neglect, but this has …
