Keynote address : Future is Urban - Making cities inclusive, climate resilient and sustainable
December 2021
This is the urban century as number of cities and urban population rises. Globally, we are faced with the challenge of climate change and its impact on urban areas. While this has received global attention, we need to focus also on the inclusive agenda for cities, which has received less attention. Conventionally this has focused on slums. However, attention is also needed on other areas of inclusion related to gender, finance, access to urban services and the digital divide.
So how can we as urban planners in India contribute to these new challenges and opportunities? Conventionally, planners in India have made urban development plans, and helped in the implementation of large programs such as JNUURM, AMRUT and SBM.
But planners need to think differently too.
At this keynote address during the International Conference on 'Future is Urban’, at Nirma University, Dr. Meera Mehta talks about five ideas that emerge as critical for the next decade: a) meeting the SDG agenda for urban by 2030, b) making our cities climate resilient, c) moving to a wider inclusive and transformational gender agenda, d) tapping the emerging new modes of financing, and e) bridging the digital divide.
