2021 Agenda

Economic Geography Approach to Regional Planning

Metropolitan areas are the new growth centres where the focus needs to be this decade. This session will present its analysis of the economic geography study of the Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR) based on population, economic census and geo-spatial data.

Electric Mobility Masterclass

Session 2: Charging Infrastructure Development
The 5-day EV Masterclass series offers participants implementable solutions for accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption in their respective cities and states. Session 2 will cover the need for a robust charging infrastructure including how to locate it and how to create viable business models

Enabling Safer Streets in Bengaluru

As theories of ‘Post-Covid cities’ make their way into the urban planning discourse, citizens and planners are focusing on the importance of creating accessible and walkable streets. Resonating with this thought, the theme of this session is how to work towards creating a ‘Walkable Bengaluru’.

From Master Planning to Strategic Spatial Planning

Strategic Spatial Planning is an internationally used planning tool that envisions the city’s future while formulating strategic projects and decisions to help leapfrog over current and potential challenges faced by the city. Through budgeted and timeline linked interventions, this approach is critical in preventing large metropolises from succumbing to becoming diseconomies.

Water Tales: Inclusion Stories from the AACO Initiative

The Accelerating Access Coalition (aaco) prioritizes improving citywide inclusive and resilient access to water, sanitation, hygiene and healthy spaces. This session will highlight various initiatives that voice the stories of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in Indian cities.

Mainstreaming Climate Action in Indian Cities

Explore how cities can build adaptive capacities and leverage infrastructure investments to mainstream climate action in cities. The session will also launch a new report from the Coalition for Urban Transitions and WRI India that examines how India can mobilise national missions to unleash the full potential of Climate Smart Cities.

Panel Discussion on National Bus Funding Scheme

The Government of India, in its annual budget, launched a new scheme with an outlay of Rs 18,000 crore to support the augmentation of public bus transport services in the country. This session brings together experts and representatives from government and state transit agencies for a deep dive discussion on the role of the scheme in facilitating funding, operations and maintenance of bus systems. The panel will also share insights on how the scheme will give a boost to uptake.

Child-Friendly Cities

While urbanization poses a challenge for all, infants and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to the negative impact of increasing air, noise pollution and lack of safe infrastructure. This session will look at different programs undertaken by WRI India to scale-up child-friendly initiatives across cities.

Building Sustainable Ecosystem for EV Batteries in India

A resource-efficient transition to electric vehicles requires a sustainable battery ecosystem. Join us as we discuss how India can scale up its battery manufacturing capabilities and introduce robust standards regulations for safety and performance, while promoting diversification of battery technologies and circular economy strategies (re-use and recycling).

Geospatial Data - New Opportunities for Better Governance & Planning

With the deregulation of geospatial data acquisition and mapping in India, the hope is that the availability of accurate and readily accessible geodata will trigger innovative solutions across diverse sectors. This session will see interaction between data providers and the user community to understand how geospatial technologies are currently leveraged by startups, private sector companies, research organizations and government agencies, explore data challenges and possible opportunities that the new guidelines bring in.

Child Friendly Cities

While urbanization poses a challenge for all, infants and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to the negative impact of increasing air, noise pollution and lack of safe infrastructure. This session will look at different programs undertaken by WRI India to scale-up child-friendly initiatives across cities.

Electric Mobility Masterclass

Session 3 : Financing and Skill Development
The 5-day EV Masterclass series offers participants implementable solutions for accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption in their respective cities and states. Session 3 will cover various barriers in EV financing, project structuring, concession agreements and the need for skilled workforce.

Shaping a Resilient Kochi

As the commercial capital of Kerala, Kochi's biggest challenge is to holistically plan for infrastructure while dealing with climate change. The session will look at how the city can engage with the community to create long-term preparedness plans, create inclusive streets and public spaces and a holistic vision for a resilient Kochi.

India - Latin America Urbanization Dialogue

India and Latin America have a lot in common, be it shared socio-economic realities - as a democracy or as emerging economies. This session will see discussion on measures undertaken in each region, as well as exchange of learnings. The keynote address on 'India's Urbanization Strategy and Program’ will be given by Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India

Climate Action and Cities

MoHUA’s ‘Climate SMART Cities Assessment Framework’ has given impetus to build climate action plans in cities grappling with climate change related crisis.This session offers insights into planning for low carbon resilient cities, actioning plans on-ground and effective project preparation.

Metro in India

Between 2014-2019, India has witnessed a 160% jump in operational metro rail lines across the country. With over ₹ 3 trillion set to be spent towards building this infrastructure in the next five years, the session aims to delve into some of the key aspects related to metro infrastructure and operations in India and how they have been shaping our cities and urban growth.

Air Pollution: From Policy to Action

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), a five-year strategy to control air pollution levels. Under NCAP, cities identified by the Central Pollution Control Board need to develop air pollution mitigation action plans. This session will look at the action plan developed by Surat and Indore, the challenges faced by these cities and the opportunities they discovered.

Electric Mobility Masterclass

Session 4: Communications & Outreach
The 5-day EV Masterclass series offers participants implementable solutions for accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption in their respective cities and states. Session 4 will cover the key role of communications & outreach play in raising awareness and scaling up EV adoption.

Designing an Accessible Delhi NCR

By 2028, Delhi will overtake Tokyo as the most populous urban agglomeration in the world. This session looks at building a common vision for an accessible and inclusive Delhi National Capital Region.

Session 1
Explore the challenges and opportunities in pedestrianizing Chandni Chowk.

Session 2
Better understand the What, Why and How of creating safer school zones.

Nature-Based Solutions

The growing impact of climate change on cities has made it critical to include nature-based solutions (NBS) in different phases of urban planning to build resilient cities. The session will look at the current barriers in operationalising NBS in cities and what are the potential opportunities for establishing NBS in cities.

Keynote by Aniruddha Dasgupta (President and CEO of WRI)

Keynote by Aniruddha Dasgupta (President and CEO of WRI) followed by a high-level panel on Nature-based Solutions in Cities.

Safer Streets, Safer Cities

The pandemic has made cities realised the importance of working towards safer, sustainable cities. One way to reach the goal is by building safer and more accessible streets in our cities. The session will look at how to scale up the various on-going interventions towards building safer streets.

India as an EV Global Gamechanger

India is among a handful of countries that have signed up to the global EV30@30 campaign, with the objective of reaching a 30% sales share for electric vehicles by 2030. This session brings together policy makers, industry representatives, technical and financing organizations to deliberate on opportunities, roadblocks, and strategies to enable smoother transition in the EV sector.

TheCityFix Labs India: Leveraging Innovative Procurement for Urban Services

Strategic, efficient and competitive public procurement can ensure better urban services. This session will look at the best practices to achieve efficient procurement, the procedural changes needed to operationalize new processes and adoption of innovative measures for procurement.

Electrification of Bus-Based Public Transport

India is focussed on transitioning to electric mobility, via FAME, and public transport remains a key focus area. This session will focus on route planning, technical and financial feasibility of charging and support infrastructure, procurement models and technology frameworks that can help decision makers optimise terms to diversify risks and reduce the resource burden.

Thriving Cities, Living Waters

India’s cities have long developed on the banks of rivers. However, as our cities grow, urban rivers, lakes and streams are disappearing. The session will look at future waterfront designs and development as a collaborative enterprise with multiple disciplines of architecture, ecology, engineering, finance and policy.

Mainstreaming Micro-level planning in Urban Legislation

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has initiated a sub-scheme on ‘Pilot on Formulation of Local Area Plan (LAP) & Town Planning Scheme (TPS) for the redevelopment of underutilized and derelict areas within a city. This session will look at the role of micro-level plans for cities and analyse existing institutional, structural and legal challenges.

Electrification of Bus-Based Public Transport

India is focussed on transitioning to electric mobility, via FAME, and public transport remains a key focus area. This session will focus on route planning, technical and financial feasibility of charging and support infrastructure, procurement models and technology frameworks that can help decision makers optimise terms to diversify risks and reduce the resource burden.

Electric Mobility Masterclass

Session 5: Policy, Roadmap & Projects
The 5-day EV Masterclass series offers participants implementable solutions for accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption in their respective cities and states. Session 5 will cover key points regarding how to implement policies, programs and projects that can help accelerate EV adoption.

Closing Plenary

Address by Shri Suresh Prabhu (6 times MP, Ex-Cabinet Minister of 10 portfolios)

Developing a Vibrant and Connected Hyderabad

This session will focus on aspects that are critical in developing the Hyderabad Region as a well-balanced economic cluster and the synergies that are needed to unlock environmental and social benefits within the city region.