As urban India emerges within an increasingly global world, the idea of the ‘World-Class’ City has captured the imagination of policy makers, residents, entrepreneurs and the media. Calls to make Mumbai into Shanghai or Bengaluru into Singapore abound. This Institute will re-examine these visions and the critical questions of urban growth and development that underpin them. Given India’s challenges towards enabling inclusive development, social transformation, sustainable urbanism and livelihoods, this is an intensely contested and opportune debate.
The Institute will bring together theoretical debates with existing practices, enabling an interdisciplinary exploration of the systems, processes and values that drive the development of these cities. Using a rich mix of lectures, practica, charettes and cases, the Institute will be a dynamic and an engaged learning environment with participation at every stage.