Why we should place pedestrians first to create better cities

Apart from pedestrian infrastructure being equitable, continuous, shaded and comfortable, the discourse on pedestrianisation needs to be about …

Will Indian cities again drown this monsoon?

Even moderate rainfall can lead to major flooding in well-planned urban areas despite the presence of storm water drainage system

Urban commons: Need to develop financing framework

Urban commons are mainly dependent on governments, particularly local governments that are more often than not financially weak

Budget by the people

Pune Municipal Corporation has been successfully implementing participatory budgeting since 2005

Here comes the megacities

By 2100, at least 10 cities are predicted to have population over 50 million. How can society keep pace?

Women bear the brunt of Africa's urban disasters, such as the collapse of landfills

When it comes to urban disasters - both natural and otherwise - death has a gender

Urban commons

Down to Earth reaches out to experts to understand the scope and limitations of reimagining urban commons

Earth day musings: Can this pandemic change the idea of a city?

Post-pandemic, the new normal in our cities need to be more humane and inclusive and urban renewal must be designed on a human scale

Urban commons: Rethink their management

Loss of urban ‘commons’ and ‘communing’ among larger public have a direct impact on the way a city and its society are …

What Nigerian cities can learn from the rest of the world

The rapid rate of urban population growth, fuelled by massive rural to urban migration, has overwhelmed public sector resources in the country

How cities can cope with climate change-induced floods

Restoring wetlands, mapping flooded areas, reducing emissions from cities will help

Simply Put : Ahmedabad wall

Road to cool cities: Codes based on unique ‘urban form’ can be helpful

Urban India is a heat trap, but road orientation, building materials and zone-specific master plans can drastically enhance thermal comfort

Bihar plans policy change to push urbanisation

The state government has prepared a draft seeking changes to ‘old criteria’ for notifying semi-urban or rural area as urban 

Commons: Local bodies must take lead

There is a pronounced lacuna in the governance and regulations of urban commons

Creating foraging-friendly cities can strengthen people-biodiversity connections

Urban foraging can help solve food crisis by changing how we eat

Transit-oriented development is a step towards a more liveable tomorrow

Transition to greener, more sustainable cities will require a lot of change managers other than architects

Maharashtra expands EV subsidies — but with a deadline

The revised EV policy aims to realise the state’s ambition to have 10% EVs among new vehicle registrations by 2025

Urban commons: Almost ignored in city planning

Commons act as a nutritional buffer, safety net for migrants; middle-class, wealthy residents no less dependent

Aarey's Chipko moment

The plan to clear Mumbai's last green cover is facing stiff resistance from citizens and non-profits

Murky science of comfort part 3: Industry defined standards make us feel uncomfortable without ACs

The Heat, Ventilation and Air Conditioning industry has made sure that we get used to heating and cooling appliances by setting arbitrary …

3 reasons Jakarta is the fastest sinking city in the world

Scientists say that by 2050, the capital of Indonesia will be entirely submerged

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (July 14, 2022)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

If sanitation is treated as a community problem, we can make something happen for very little money

Just like a better iPhone is not the solution to poor telecom connectivity, sanitation cannot be solved by a smart, well-designed product, sold …

Why rapid urbanisation in peri-urban areas is a concern for Chandigarh

 Kharar, an urban settlement in Chandigarh, is witness to fast-track development in the past few years