Issue - 10
May 2023
Monthly
The national level challenge ‘The अRban Learnathon’ launched by the National Urban Learning Platform (NULP) on 13 March 2023 has received an overwhelming response of over 264 urban solutions from 21 states and 4 UTs across India. This 60 day challenge provided state and city officials an opportunity to create, collaborate and celebrate by showcasing their urban solutions implemented in their respective states and cities.
The entries were received from 10+ urban domains with top domains being Sewerage and Sanitation, Urban Management and E-Governance, Urban Mobility and Accessibility, Environment and Climate and Social Aspects. In the next phase of the challenge, winners will be selected in various categories through a popular choice approach, where the audience will have the opportunity to vote for the best solutions using the NULP voting feature.
The best urban solutions will be identified following the NULP principle of ‘You will Create, You will Share, You will Monitor, You will choose’. Additionally, the solutions chosen for the voting phase will be published on the NULP platform. Also, solutions which are selected for the voting phase will be published on the NULP. For further updates, please visit the NULP website.
Inclusive Cities Centre (ICC)
The Policy Brief on ‘Gender and Disability Inclusion in Urban Development’ was launched on 25 May 2023 at the UN House in India. The brief has been developed under the joint initiative between NIUA and the UN in India on ‘Mainstreaming Gender and Disability Inclusion in the Implementation of SDGs, particularly SDG 11’ supported by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
It outlines the vulnerabilities faced by women, girls, and persons with disabilities in cities, identifies priority intervention areas and advocates for participatory planning approaches. The policy brief also advocates adopting a gender-transformative planning approach, developing age-responsive, disability-centric initiatives, including incorporating universal design criteria in all urban development projects and service delivery, financial and technical support for inclusion initiatives, and preferential procurement policies for women and persons with disabilities that are critical to ensure inclusive urban growth.
It has been prepared after several consultations with organisations of persons with disabilities, rights implementers, domain experts and academia by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Karnataka.
BASIIC in collaboration with the UN in India organised the roundtable 'Reimagining Urban Frameworks from the Lens of Gender & Disability Inclusion' on 25 May 2023. This session was held as a part of 'Creating a Women-Led U20 Framework', a two-day multistakeholder NIUA-UN Women Dialogue.
The roundtable was premised on the Policy Brief - 'Gender and Disability Inclusion’ and aimed to provide a multi-stakeholder perspective with reference to planning fields, infrastructure, housing, public transport and mobility, and participatory design processes that account for the experiences of women, girls, and persons with disabilities with the aim to contribute towards building disability and gender-inclusive Indian cities.
The intent of the dialogue was to propose recommendations for the U20 Communiqué that would assist policymakers and urban planners across the G20 countries in the creation of equitable cities for all, keeping in line with the theme of ‘Leave No One Behind’ (LNOB) under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNICEF and NIUA have collaborated for organising U20 side events and working towards creating safe, inclusive and climate-resilient cities through urban planning and policymaking for the inclusion of various vulnerable groups such as children/ youth/ women and persons with disabilities.
Through this collaboration, NIUA and UNICEF aim towards converting policies into action and creating frameworks that would strengthen the urban planning and governance systems required to build inclusive cities.
ITCN Capacity Building Programme, with Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) is providing handholding support to cities for the implementation of ITC-centric park projects. The five partner training delivery agencies have identified park projects in their selected cities and trained city officials to initiate the implementation process. Two workshops were conducted by the Programme, and another one is planned to gather learnings from the processes.
The first workshop introduced concepts based on the tools and training delivered under the Implementation course of ITCN, while the second one had discussion and insights from Indian cities that have implemented ITC focussed initiatives for public spaces. During the second workshop, city officials from Udaipur and Pune, along with other experts, shared their experiences and provided recommendations for the upcoming projects.
NIUA's ITCN Capacity Building Programme, in collaboration with BvLF, focuses on capacity building of city officials and young professionals, to address the pressing need for creating urban spaces suitable for young children. In light of the severe impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups in cities, particularly in early childhood development, Krishna Kant Pandey, the Team Leader of ITCN at NIUA, has authored a paper ’Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on health and well-being of young children’. This paper has been published in the South Asian Journal of Participative Development Volume 22, Issue 2, for July-December 2022.
The objective of the paper is to comprehend the critical challenges faced by young children and their caregivers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it summarises key recommendations to address these issues. These recommendations encompass improved response strategies and enhanced access to long-term services, specifically tailored for young children, among other suggestions.
Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cube)
C-CUBE team with the key dignitaries - Shri Sanjay Seth – Senior Director, The Energy and Resources Institute, Shri Rahul Kapoor, Joint Secretary Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Dr Antje Berger, Counselor, Climate & Environment German Embassy.
A two-day workshop on 'Fostering Participatory Climate Action in Indian Cities using Technology' was organised under the action research project titled Transformative Climate Action using Participatory data-driven decision-making platforms (T-CAP), Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cube) at the NIUA in collaboration with the United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on 9-10 May 2023 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
The workshop brought together cities, advocacy groups, institutions, start-ups, and solution providers to explore data analytics, AI, and risk management strategies for smart city development. It emphasised the need for integrated climate data systems, engagement for climate actions, coordination and data stewardship. The workshop emphasised the city-specific approaches and integration of local knowledge.
A regional training workshop on ‘Accelerating Access to Climate Finance to South Asian Cities: Designing Climate Resilient Development Projects’ was conducted on 18-19 May 2023 at Taj Palace, Mumbai by Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cube) at the NIUA, in association with the EU-funded Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) Asia.
The workshop focused on building an understanding of financial mechanisms, enhancing capacity to access and utilise climate finance, providing guidance on developing bankable projects, building networks and partnerships, and fostering knowledge exchange to create a community of practice around climate finance in South Asian cities.
This workshop brought together over 50+ city representatives (Mayor/ Executive Head), stakeholders in climate finance, and members of partner organisations.
The participants visited the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation office, where Ashwini Bhide, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs), addressed the meeting with Hitesh Vaidya, Director NIUA. This was followed by a visit to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)'s e-BUS Depot.
The City Climate Alliance hosted a dialogue on 'Operationalising Nature-based Solutions in River Cities'. The dialogue, organised by NIUA focused on better understanding the potential of Nature-based Solutions to address the risks faced by river cities, their implementation, governing systems, collaboration and partnerships through a cross-sectoral lens through case studies.
The dialogue was led by: Annapurna Vancheswaran, Managing Director, The Nature Conservancy Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Former Director General NMCG, Chief Technical Advisor, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) Nitin Bassi, Programme Lead, Water Team, CEEW Moderator: Ambika Vishwanath, Director, Kubernein Initiative.
Over sixty thought leaders, mostly women, sat over 16 hours over two days and came up with several disruptive ideas on 'Creating a women-led U-20 framework'. The discussions on 24-25 May at the UN House ranged from overlooking the six U-20 thematic areas from a gender perspective.
The discussion covered need for –
An ‘auto mela’ was organised on 19 May 2023 for drivers in Amritsar to inform them of the features of electric auto-rickshaws and about the RAAHI project (an acronym for ‘Rejuvenation of Auto-Rickshaws in Amritsar through Holistic Interventions’) of the CITIIS program. At the mela, empanelled e-auto OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) showcased their products at the event and provided the drivers with detailed information.
The RAAHI project aims to replace more than 7000 diesel auto-rickshaws in Amritsar through a subsidy model to help create a convenient and sustainable public transport system in the city. It facilitates the formation of a cooperative society of auto drivers, as well as skill development courses for women in their families. Learn more about the project here: https://citiis.niua.in/projects/amritsar.
A tactical urbanism exercise was conducted in Chennai on 25 - 26 May to test strategies for increasing road safety for school children was conducted by Pranjali Deshpande, a mobility expert and the Domestic Expert for CITIIS in Dehradun and Amritsar.
On 25 May, a workshop and consultation meeting was held with officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), the Traffic Police Department, the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, ITDP and NIUA, to discuss interventions that can ensure safe and convenient access to civic amenities.
A study was conducted on 26 May at the Bulla Avenue School regarding safety facilities such as zebra crossings and footpaths near the school. A temporary pavement was constructed and tested.
Based on the ‘Safe Access to Schools’ study, GCC will formulate and implement safety measures for students commuting between school and home, prioritising schools under the CITIIS program. Learn more about how CITIIS is improving learning environments for school students in Chennai here.
A Community Water Forum Meeting (CWF) was organised at Mubarakpur Dabas in Delhi on 27 April 2023 by NIUA, World Resources Institute (WRI), and Mahila Housing Trust (MHT). This was part of a series of meetings conducted under the Australia-India Water Security Initiative Community Demonstration Project (AIWASI CDP) that aims to improve water security and liveability conditions for two disadvantaged communities in Delhi.
The CWF meeting focused at sensitising the community members of Mubarakpur Dabas on the proposed interventions of the Community Demonstration Projects designed by McGregor Coxall (McGC). The meeting helped community members understand the interventions in simpler terms and assisted government agencies in understanding synergies between ongoing projects and proposed interventions, and discuss the challenges faced by the community and its solutions.
An inception workshop on ‘Water and River Sensitive Urban Development’ was conducted at the Amity School of Architecture and Planning, Amity University, Noida with students of B.Plan, B.Arch, and M.Arch, on 2 May 2023, by the Water and Environment Vertical at NIUA.
The workshop aimed at helping students understand the value of rivers in mainstreaming river-centric thinking into a city’s long-term vision. The session helped the students orient themselves to the different projects being undertaken by NIUA for holistic management of urban rivers.
To expand the scope of the River Cities Alliance (RCA) outside India, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with the NIUA organised the ‘River-Cities Alliance Global Seminar: Partnership for Building International River-Sensitive Cities’ on 4 May 2023 in New Delhi.
The seminar witnessed participation from Embassies/High Commissions of select countries and their respective river cities in order to highlight objectives, achievements, and potential collaborative outcomes of RCA. State Missions for Clean Ganga (SMCGs) and funding agencies like World Bank, ADB, JICA & KfW also took part in the discussions.
NIUA and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organised a brainstorming session with the Heads of 18 diverse educational institutes across India on 22 May 2023.
Some of the key suggestions that the Professors made for strengthening river thinking in academia included;
On May 2, 2023, the SCBP team at NIUA attended a consultation meeting in Bhubaneswar, on ‘Developing Community-centric Pathway for Building Disaster Preparedness and Climate-Resilient WASH’. The meeting focussed on community preparedness efforts and empower communities to address the challenges associated with establishing safe and inclusive WASH systems in the face of climate change.
During the consultation, the SCBP team shared their insights and experiences from their work on sustainable sanitation in Uttarakhand.
As such, the team highlighted the importance of inclusion of local NGOs, marginalised communities, and the implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation measures. They also discussed their ongoing initiative to establish a forum dedicated to promoting cleanliness and sustainability in hill states.
NIUA with MoHUA launched three online courses under the theme ‘Sustainable Sanitation’ to strengthen capacity building of Urban Local Bodies across the country. These courses- (namely FSSM Orientation, FSSM Planning, and Co-treatment of Septage in STP) have been uploaded on the iGOT platform, under the Mission Karmayogi Bharat.
To showcase the process of creating the first of its kind teaching-learning content and it’s development procedure, along with the functioning of iGOT, NIUA in collaboration with Mission Karmayogi Bharat organised an interactive online session ‘iGOT Portal Demonstration and Orientation’ on 30 May 2023. This session provided various stakeholders, including NIUA’s partner organisations in the sanitation sector, with a comprehensive understanding of the iGOT platform, discussing about the competency framework (FRAC), E-HRMS etc.
During the session, the course review framework and content creation guidelines developed by NIUA were also discussed. The session included a walkthrough of the mission and iGOT, serving as a valuable online learning experience for 30+ sector organisations.
CapaCITIES project supported the Udaipur Municipal Corporation (UMC) to celebrate ‘World Environment Day’ and organised ‘Climate Week from 30 May to 5 June 2023,’ coinciding with this year’s ‘World Environment Day (WED)’ . The major objectives was to create awareness on climate change and promote the Government of India’s mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment. Several events including training workshops and practical demonstrations on environmental sustainability were organised.
Centre for Digital Governance (CDG)
In the Governance Summit held at Mohali, Punjab on 12 May 2023, Manpreet Singh, Chief Programme Officer, NUDM - NIUA, participated in a roundtable on Open Data-Based Governance Platform.
The experts highlighted challenges in data sharing and non-standardisation of data, which hinder the open-source ecosystem in India. Key takeaways include the need for more open data platforms, integration of different data for feedback-based knowledge, and access to digital public goods for welfare maximisation.
NIUA and Wadhwani AI have signed an MoU under the NUDM to drive stakeholder interactions and support citizen-centric services in areas of urban governance. Wadhwani AI will provide expertise in data analysis to generate predictions and enable planning capabilities for public services such as property tax management and grievance redressal.
At the National Workshop on U-20 Agenda for Municipal Governance, hosted by IIPA, Manpreet Singh, CPO-NUDM -NIUA, led a session on e-Governance perspective under NUDM and emphasised on the need to adopt a Digital First Approach for India's urban governance. The session focussed on the digital delivery of citizen services, aiming to enhance the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business for ULBs.
Chhattisgarh launched the OBPAS module of UPYOG as NiwasPass on 28 April 2023. This digital public infrastructure aims to provide urban e-governance services to urban citizens of Chhattisgarh. The launch aligns with the NUDM's objective of digitally empowering urban India.
The State Engagement Leads for NUDM participated in a crucial two-day workshop in Rajasthan to discuss and strategize the implementation of the NUDM in the state.
Sharmila Mary Joseph, IAS, PS, LSGD, Kerala, held a strategic meeting with the NUDM team at NIUA Headquarters, paving the way for seamless adoption and implementation of NUDM initiatives in Kerala.
In the U20 Event on 'Reinventing Urban Governance for Indian Cities', hosted by the Indore Municipal Corporation on 18 May 2023, Manpreet Singh, CPO-NUDM at NIUA, and Pankaj Sharma, Regional Lead at NIUA, actively participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Catalyzing Digital Urban Futures’. The discussion focussed on the significance of data and the transformative role of emerging digital technologies. This event served as a platform to explore innovative solutions and pave the way for a digitally driven future in India's urban development.
Pankaj Sharma, along with NUDM team participated in a technical workshop organised by India-EU Urban Partnership in Kochi. The workshop focused on establishing solid waste management systems and optimising integrated command and control center (ICCC) usage. Collaborating with EUD and NIUA, Kochi aims to develop robust waste management modules for a sustainable future.
An Industry Consultation on 'Integrating GIS Capabilities with UPYOG' under NUDM took place on 17 May 2023. Over 50 professionals from industry, public sector, and academia participated, sharing insights, showcasing the best practices, and discussing challenges and opportunities. The consultation aimed to strengthen the platform and shape the approach for integrating GIS technology with UPYOG.
In an effort to promote capacity building through digital means and cultivate a sustainable culture of collaborative learning among urban practitioners, NIUA is actively facilitating the implementation of NULP across cities and states in India. To further expand the reach and impact of NULP, a meeting was recently conducted with S. Parijatham – Joint Director (JD), Corporations on 23 May 2023 in Tamil Nadu.
The focus of the discussion revolved around exploring opportunities to integrate NULP with the state's existing mandate for technical and refresher training programmes. This collaboration aims to leverage the platform's capabilities and resources to enhance the state's training initiatives and ensure a comprehensive approach to skill development for urban practitioners. Through these efforts, NULP is dedicated to creating a dynamic and inclusive learning environment, empowering urban professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to address the complex challenges of urbanisation effectively.
Centre for Urbanisation and Economic Growth (CUEG)
The Annual Conference under MGSCI was held from 9-10 May 2023 in Stuttgart, Germany. The event was an occasion for project partners, sustainability experts, and team members to come together and share lessons learned from the past four years of bringing forward transformational change and Climate Action in the MGI pilot cities of Piura, Saltillo and Kochi. Debjani Ghosh and Anna Brittas represented NIUA and the Kochi City Lab team in the conference, highlighting the impacts of the Sustainable Neighbourhood pilot project in Kochi.
UrbanShift Country Project, funded by Global Environment Facility 7 (GEF 7) - was launched at the Inception Workshop, jointly organised by NIUA and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), on 3 May 2023, at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The inaugural session was graced by Kunal Kumar, (JS- MoHUA), Atul Bagai (Head, UN Environment Programme India office), Aloke Barnwal, (Senior Climate Change Specialist, GEF), Hitesh Vaidya, (Director, NIUA) and Emani Kumar, (Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia). Sarika Chakravarty, Team Lead, UrbanShift Country Project presented the contours of the project, that aims to support sustainable cities through knowledge exchange and capacity development to inform implementation of compact, nature-positive, climate-resilient, inclusive, and gender-sensitive approaches across 4 cities in India, namely, Pune, Surat, Agra and Puducherry.
Representatives from Pune Municipal Corporation elaborated on Pune Transit-oriented Development regulations and efforts being undertaken towards establishing Non-motorised Transport infrastructure. O.P. Agarwal, Member, Governing Council, - NIUA, Ex-CEO WRI provided insights about making TOD implementable in Indian cities, citing global examples and his professional experiences.
Representatives from Surat Municipal Corporation presented the design proposal for developing the Dumas Seafront, highlighting the sustainable features of the proposal. Peeyush Sekhsaria, Independent Consultant, Natural Resource Management and Disaster and Risk Management, presented about Nature-based Solutions and their application to increase the resilience of coastal areas.
Representatives from Greater Chennai Corporation presented Chennai’s integrated Urban Flood Risk Management, which focused on the components of improving climate-resilient urban flood protection infrastructure and the restoration of Kadappakka lake.
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