This brief article presents policy ideas from cities in emerging economies which have the potential to “build back better”. Considering the three strategic sectors of renewables (heating/cooling, power, transportation), we explore case studies to show policymakers from the Global South how they can go for renewables now.
Read MoreThe dominant discourse of COVID 19 and cities seems to be built around a singular narrative, assuming the crisis has been more or less the same for different places with few variations. Yet this discourse fails to consider other street lives and urban cultures which exist in large parts of the world, and the most vulnerable populations, who are dealing with the hardest aspects of the pandemic. This article examines the lived experiences of women, and residents of the Global South.
Read MoreSpread over 2.4 square kilometers, Dharavi is one of the most densely-populated areas of India. With single-story and low-rise informal tenements lined along its labyrinthine bylanes, it houses over 850,000 people. So once it arrived in Dharavi, the virus instantly spun out of control.
Read MoreWe can regulate the tech sector in such a way that it must genuinely listen to and serve local communities. That way tech would play one part of a larger effort to address root causes, instead of a status quo which squeezes marginalized folks out of the process of finding solutions to the problems that are reaching a breaking point in cities around the world today.
Read MoreHow radical are the consequences of the change in our routine so far and in the future, because of quarantine? Are modern apartments prepared for this change?
Read MoreCan COVID-19 catalyze the de-urbanization of elites in the developing world? And how will tensions between urbanites and rural dwellers evolve if the trend towards de-urbanization is confirmed?
Read MoreAs the COVID-19 crisis has forced desk-bound workers to adopt the “home-office” model, many are wondering if this new reality is the answer to workers’ increasing demands in way of flexibility, rush hour commutes and rising office prices. And if that turns out to be the case, this is a change in our lifestyles that could have immense implications for the enormous amount of space we dedicate in cities to work. So it’s worth thinking about a bit further.
Read MoreIf this is how capitalistic societies work — with people constantly being productive, striving to occupy their time, almost ashamed when they have nothing to do — quarantine measures have suddenly and abruptly broken everyone’s routines
Read MoreThe ‘Clean India Mission’ turned five this last October, and notable successes have been made. But what does ‘progress’ mean in the COVID-19 pandemic? In this article, two case studies — Kolkata and Delhi — will demonstrate how the module works, and what it could mean to fight the viral outbreak.
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