The 21st century will be an Asian century. But it will also be an urban century with much of this urbanization taking place in Asian cities, especially in India and China. Such urbanization carries with it tremendous potential for economic prosperity, the consolidation of middle-class aspirational lifestyles, growth of civil society and experiments with local democracy. But such urbanization also presents significant challenges including the degradation of urban poverty and inequality, the inadequacy of infrastructure, and the ecological impact of stifling pollution and increasing carbon footprints. India’s rapid urban growth thus presents a call to scholars, policy-makers, planners, and civil society activists to engage with these various potentialities and challenges. In recognition of the urgency of these issues, ISAS launched a new research initiative titled The 21st Century Indian City
- The inaugural conference in this initiative, Developing an Agenda for Urbanization in India, was held in New Delhi in March 2011. Report from 1st Conference.
- The 2nd conference in this initiative, Working Towards Being Slum Free?, took place on April 27-28, 2012 in Berkeley, CA. Report from 2nd Conference.
- Preceding the 2nd conference is, Urban WASH: Paradigms for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene for the 21st Century South Asian City, a graduate student symposium focusing primarily on urban water management, was held on April 25, 2012.
- The 3rd conference in this initiative, Towns, Metros, and the Indian Economy, was held in Bangalore on March 26-27, 2013. Report on 3rd Conference. Additionally, "Thinking about the 21st Century Indian City," an article written by Sanchita B Saxena and Gowri Vijayakumar for the Economic and Political Weekly: Vol - XLIX No. 11, March 15, 2014
Please click on the above links for further details on agenda and speaker information.
