Category Archives: Sustainability and climate change

Is ‘Cities for People’ the new mantra? Takeaways from the ’100 Urban Trends’ report

“Urban thinking, whether related to architecture or urbanism, has become dramatically less focused on infrastructure, and more on the ultimate goal and reason for the existence of cities — that is, the well-being of the people that inhabit them and … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, Community, design, planning, Public spaces, Sustainability and climate change, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s campaign for Indian cities to create long-term spatial plans: It’s a matter of survival- Sep 12, 2012

Despite the numbers being thrown at us everyday, it is hard for many of us to truly grasp the fact that the world is becoming irreversibly urban. Urban in the way we live, think and function. At the same time, … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, governance, Public spaces, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Greening affordable housing is a mixed-up agenda- Aug 27, 2012

When you work in the field of affordable housing, you focus on cost, quality and accessibility. Of course, among other things, but these come first. In the past few months though, I have been noticing that the sustainability agenda is … Continue reading

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Posted in Housing, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Goa: A green like no other- July 27, 2012

The familiar drive from Dabolim Airport to Caranzalem. By now, even Udai knows the shortcuts and landmarks. Every single time I stare enthralled by the beauty unfolding with each turn. Monsoon is a particularly good time to come to Goa. … Continue reading

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Posted in Emotional, Sustainability and climate change, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Of celluloid fantasies and the human penchant for intelligent stupidity- July 12, 2012

Every time I brush my teeth, I fleetingly remember that the last time I visited dentist was years ago. And she had showed me a super scary image of certain waiting disasters inside that needed to be filled in at … Continue reading

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Lines drawn in the building sector: Thoughts while speaking at a media briefing- June 28, 2012

Speaking to a group of journalists from across the country can be an interesting experience. For me, it was fun being on the other side. For all the years we ran our media services company (Nupur and me), we were … Continue reading

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Posted in governance, Housing, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poverty and traditional living can teach us about sustainability, if we would pay attention- June 18, 2012

A friend passed on to me the phone number of someone who home delivers organic veggies in Gurgaon and I am trying to evaluate the benefits of ordering these at an increased cost. I do believe that going organic will … Continue reading

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Posted in Community, Culture, Sustainability and climate change, Urban poverty | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Water sagas: Stories of community action and despair about our most precious resource- May 24, 2012

A few days after I read about CII’s initiative to initiate blue ratings in India, probably the first in the world to monitor industrial water usage in a holistic manner, an encouraging story about the revival of a river caught … Continue reading

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Posted in Community, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Too dependent on mega cities, we need fresh perspectives to urban growth! May 17, 2012

That the world is urbanizing rapidly is by now something we all understand. The implications of this massive shift in how humans live is still a subject of intense scrutiny and research among urban professionals, sociologists, geographers, demographers, economists and … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, Suburbs, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Conserve and manage resources like water OR Go hungry! May 15, 2012

The first ever UN Human Development report for Africa released today. And the big discussion was about food security. Amid emotional statements ["History is not destiny, Africans are not fated to starve," - Tegegnework Gettu, UNDP Africa Director], the report … Continue reading

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Posted in agriculture, Livelihood, Sustainability and climate change | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment