The Future City: Whose City Is It Anyway?

A city is inhabited by varied groups of people with competing and often conflicting demands, which leads to contests over resources. Policymakers and citizens are struggling to find sustainable solutions to these contests, which are often divisive and impede development. While successful city management requires necessary and timely institutional reforms, it also needs to be led by people with a vision. The implementation of an urban agenda requires leadership that is capable of effective negotiation and reconciliation of recurring urban contests. This session explores some of these conflicts while also searching for alternative urban solutions. It highlights the need for thoughtful and innovative leadership for developing India’s urban agenda.

Confirmed Speakers

• Arbind Singh, Founder, Nidan & Co-ordinator, National Association of Street Vendors of India
• Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India
• Jehangir Pocha, Journalist & Media Professional
• Madhukar Gupta, Former Union Home Secretary, Government of India
• Meera Sanyal, Executive Vice President & Country Head, ABN Amro India
• Ravi Singh, CEO & Secretary General, World Wide Fund for Nature-India
• K C Sivaramakrishnan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Research