Events
Conversations, collaborations and capacity building that shape more inclusive and sustainable cities.
Capacity Building & Training
Prajatantra 2026 Knowledge Session
PRAJA Foundation invited Ninad Sansare, Associate Director, UDRI, to serve on the Coordination Committee for Prajatantra 2026 – “Housing the Future: Building Cities for All.” As part of the programme, Ninad Sansare delivered a knowledge session on “Foundations of Spatial and Neighbourhood Planning in Cities” on 28 August 2026. The session explored how spatial and neighbourhood planning shape the ways in which people live, move, and experience cities, and examined what it takes to create more connected, inclusive, and liveable neighbourhoods.
28 August 2026, Friday
Online
Capacity Building & Training
Prajatantra 2026 Knowledge Session
28 August 2026, Friday
Online
About
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
Ninad Sansare (Associate Director, UDRI)
Capacity Building & Training
Knowledge Partnership for PRAJA’s Urban Leadership Programme (Cohort 2)
UDRI was invited as an expert to conduct a knowledge session on “Spatial Planning for Sustainable Cities” as part of the Urban Leadership Programme organised by the PRAJA Foundation in Delhi on 22 August 2026. The session examined India’s existing spatial planning framework and highlighted the need to strengthen planning capacities and decision-making at the local level. Drawing on the principle of subsidiarity, the discussion emphasised the importance of empowering Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and ward committees to play a more active role in shaping the spatial development of their cities.
22 August 2026, Saturday
Delhi
Capacity Building & Training
Knowledge Partnership for PRAJA’s Urban Leadership Programme (Cohort 2)
22 August 2026, Saturday
Delhi
About
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
Mayors, Senior Municipal Councillors, Municipal Secretaries, and Urban Researchers from 14 cities across Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Looking at Mumbai’s Public Open Spaces
UDRI was invited to present the Public Open Space Research and its findings at a public lecture organised by the J.J. College of Architecture on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026.
02 September 2026, Wednesday
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Looking at Mumbai’s Public Open Spaces
02 September 2026, Wednesday
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
About
Organisers
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Speakers
Nayana Kathpalia (Trustee, UDRI & NAGAR), Prerna Yadav (UDRI), Parul Kumtha (NAGAR), Ashwini Deshpande (NAGAR)
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Building pathways for Housing in Maharashtra
UDRI was part of an expert group deliberation session on housing, facilitated by the Pramiti team. The discussion focused on the scope and approach towards documenting city-wide housing strategies for tier 2/3 cities in Maharashtra in a study titled: Building Pathways for Housing in Maharashtra.
16 December 2025, Tuesday
Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Building pathways for Housing in Maharashtra
16 December 2025, Tuesday
Mumbai
About
Organisers
Pramiti
Speakers
Gautam Chatterjee, Banashree Banerjee, Milind Mhaske (PRAJA), Sheela Patel (SPARC), Maria Lobo, Anuradha Parmar (Exec Dir. UDRI), Madhavi, Rajadhyaksha and facilitated by the Pramiti team
Capacity Building & Training
Expert Consultation: Definition of Urban Areas in India’,
UDRI contributed insights from its on-ground research and policy experience at the ‘Expert Consultation on the Definition of Urban Areas in India’, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
23 September 2025, Tuesday
Online
Capacity Building & Training
Expert Consultation: Definition of Urban Areas in India’,
23 September 2025, Tuesday
Online
About
Organisers
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Speakers
NA
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Delhi Agenda: Strengthening Governance, Service Delivery and Citizen Participation’
The roundtable, organised by PRAJA Foundation, deliberated on key themes such as municipal finances, civic amenities, health, education, and citizen participation in Delhi. The event brought together elected representatives, senior administrators, civil society organisations, academia, and subject matter experts to engage in reform-oriented discussions aimed at improving urban governance in the city.
20 June 2025, Friday
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Delhi Agenda: Strengthening Governance, Service Delivery and Citizen Participation’
20 June 2025, Friday
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
About
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
NA
Past Events
Capacity Building & Training
Prajatantra 2026 Knowledge Session
28 August 2026, Friday
Online
Capacity Building & Training
Prajatantra 2026 Knowledge Session
28 August 2026, Friday
Online
About
PRAJA Foundation invited Ninad Sansare, Associate Director, UDRI, to serve on the Coordination Committee for Prajatantra 2026 – “Housing the Future: Building Cities for All.” As part of the programme, Ninad Sansare delivered a knowledge session on “Foundations of Spatial and Neighbourhood Planning in Cities” on 28 August 2026. The session explored how spatial and neighbourhood planning shape the ways in which people live, move, and experience cities, and examined what it takes to create more connected, inclusive, and liveable neighbourhoods.
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
Ninad Sansare (Associate Director, UDRI)
Capacity Building & Training
Knowledge Partnership for PRAJA’s Urban Leadership Programme (Cohort 2)
22 August 2026, Saturday
Delhi
Capacity Building & Training
Knowledge Partnership for PRAJA’s Urban Leadership Programme (Cohort 2)
22 August 2026, Saturday
Delhi
About
UDRI was invited as an expert to conduct a knowledge session on “Spatial Planning for Sustainable Cities” as part of the Urban Leadership Programme organised by the PRAJA Foundation in Delhi on 22 August 2026. The session examined India’s existing spatial planning framework and highlighted the need to strengthen planning capacities and decision-making at the local level. Drawing on the principle of subsidiarity, the discussion emphasised the importance of empowering Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and ward committees to play a more active role in shaping the spatial development of their cities.
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
Mayors, Senior Municipal Councillors, Municipal Secretaries, and Urban Researchers from 14 cities across Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh
Gallery
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Looking at Mumbai’s Public Open Spaces
02 September 2026, Wednesday
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Looking at Mumbai’s Public Open Spaces
02 September 2026, Wednesday
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
About
UDRI was invited to present the Public Open Space Research and its findings at a public lecture organised by the J.J. College of Architecture on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026.
Organisers
J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Speakers
Nayana Kathpalia (Trustee, UDRI & NAGAR), Prerna Yadav (UDRI), Parul Kumtha (NAGAR), Ashwini Deshpande (NAGAR)
Gallery
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Building pathways for Housing in Maharashtra
16 December 2025, Tuesday
Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Building pathways for Housing in Maharashtra
16 December 2025, Tuesday
Mumbai
About
UDRI was part of an expert group deliberation session on housing, facilitated by the Pramiti team. The discussion focused on the scope and approach towards documenting city-wide housing strategies for tier 2/3 cities in Maharashtra in a study titled: Building Pathways for Housing in Maharashtra.
Organisers
Pramiti
Speakers
Gautam Chatterjee, Banashree Banerjee, Milind Mhaske (PRAJA), Sheela Patel (SPARC), Maria Lobo, Anuradha Parmar (Exec Dir. UDRI), Madhavi, Rajadhyaksha and facilitated by the Pramiti team
Capacity Building & Training
Expert Consultation: Definition of Urban Areas in India’,
23 September 2025, Tuesday
Online
Capacity Building & Training
Expert Consultation: Definition of Urban Areas in India’,
23 September 2025, Tuesday
Online
About
UDRI contributed insights from its on-ground research and policy experience at the ‘Expert Consultation on the Definition of Urban Areas in India’, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
Organisers
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Speakers
NA
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Delhi Agenda: Strengthening Governance, Service Delivery and Citizen Participation’
20 June 2025, Friday
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Delhi Agenda: Strengthening Governance, Service Delivery and Citizen Participation’
20 June 2025, Friday
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
About
The roundtable, organised by PRAJA Foundation, deliberated on key themes such as municipal finances, civic amenities, health, education, and citizen participation in Delhi. The event brought together elected representatives, senior administrators, civil society organisations, academia, and subject matter experts to engage in reform-oriented discussions aimed at improving urban governance in the city.
Organisers
PRAJA Foundation
Speakers
NA
Lectures & Panel Discussions
TREAD Talk- Spatial Planning in Transition: Tackling Institutional Fragmentation and Climate Risks in India’
19 June 2025, Thursday
CPR New Delhi
Lectures & Panel Discussions
TREAD Talk- Spatial Planning in Transition: Tackling Institutional Fragmentation and Climate Risks in India’
19 June 2025, Thursday
CPR New Delhi
About
UDRI was invited to present its work at the 8th TREAD Talk organized by Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and supported by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). Executive Director Anuradha Parmar shared UDRI’s work through her presentation titled ‘Spatial Planning in Transition: Tackling Institutional Fragmentation and Climate Risks in India’. The seminar examined institutional gaps in India’s planning systems, using case studies from Maharashtra to illustrate key challenges in mitigating climate risks spatially.
Organisers
Centre for Policy Research (CPR)
Speakers
NA
Gallery
Workshops & Symposiums
CSMVS Symposium: City as an Archive
26 September 2025, Friday
CSMVS, Mumbai
Workshops & Symposiums
CSMVS Symposium: City as an Archive
26 September 2025, Friday
CSMVS, Mumbai
About
Anuradha was invited as a speaker at the symposium ‘The City as an Archive’, organized by CSMVS. Her talk, titled ‘Cities in Layers: Using Archives as Platforms for Responsive Change’, highlighted UDRI’s approach to documentation and archiving, through the organization’s extensive mapping of Mumbai’s Fort Area since 1990.
Organisers
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya
Speakers
NA
Gallery
Downloads
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Metro: In Dino
05 February 2026, Thursday
Fort, Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Metro: In Dino
05 February 2026, Thursday
Fort, Mumbai
About
Anuradha Parmar, ED, UDRI, was invited to participate in a panel titled, ‘Metro: In dino’, hosted by Kala Ghoda Foundation. A discussion led by Pritika Hingorani on the urban impact of Mumbai’s metro expansion. UDRI highlighted the impact of the upcoming and existing metro connectivity in the Fort precinct. She presented the movement patterns of various stakeholders, mapped activities and on-ground land use, in context with the Aqua Line.
Organisers
Kala Ghoda Association
Speakers
Pritika Hingorani (Artha Global), Maitri Dore (Chalmers University of Technology), Mansi Sahu (studioPOD), and Swetal Kanwalu (Deputy General Manager: Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation) and Anuradha Parmar (Executive Director, UDRI)
Gallery
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Charles Correa Gold Medal 2009
11 April 2009, Saturday
Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Charles Correa Gold Medal 2009
11 April 2009, Saturday
Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture
About
The Charles Correa Gold Medal award was initiated in 1998 by Indian architect and urbanist Charles Correa. Through the competition, Correa intended to not only challenge students and schools of architecture to focus on pressing issues, but also to emphasize the role that architects can play in society as “agents of change". UDRI organised and conducted the competition til XXXX, after which the responsibility was handed over the Charles Correa Foundation to continue and build upon the initiative.
Organisers
UDRI
Speakers
Charles Correa, Kamu Iyer
Gallery
Downloads
Workshops & Symposiums
Reinventing Dharavi
11 September 2017, Monday
Durbar Hall, Asiatic Society, Mumbai
Workshops & Symposiums
Reinventing Dharavi
11 September 2017, Monday
Durbar Hall, Asiatic Society, Mumbai
About
UDRI organised an international, multidisciplinary ideas competition that invited innovative concepts for the sustainable integration of urban uses in Dharavi, including affordable housing, livelihoods, health and sanitation, recreation, education, urban design, environment, governance, and socio-cultural activities. It encouraged national and international exchanges of approaches, fostering creative and context-sensitive strategies to enhance the site’s existing qualities and future potential. Submissions explored a range of timeframes—from short-term and transitional interventions to long-term and staged development strategies. It was followed by the launch of a compendium published by UDRI, featuring the winning entries and selected design ideas from the competition.
Organisers
UDRI
Speakers
Sharad Kale, Shirish Patel, Jockin Arputham, Cyrus Guzder
Capacity Building & Training
ER Workshop Gorakhpur
10 December 2025, Wednesday
Guwahati, Assam
Capacity Building & Training
ER Workshop Gorakhpur
10 December 2025, Wednesday
Guwahati, Assam
About
UDRI, in collaboration with the PRAJA Foundation, conducted capacity-building workshops for elected representatives of the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation. The workshops were attended by around 30 councillors of the Corporation. The session focused on improving understanding of planning- related key concepts for the councillors.
Organisers
UDRI X PRAJA
Speakers
Elected Councillors from Guwahati Municipal Corporation
Gallery
Workshops & Symposiums
Mapathon – Mapping Vacant Spaces in N-Ward
19 December 2025, Friday
UDRI RRC
Workshops & Symposiums
Mapathon – Mapping Vacant Spaces in N-Ward
19 December 2025, Friday
UDRI RRC
About
UDRI was a part of a working session facilitated by WRI India, as a precursor to the Mapathon Initiative. Subsequently, UDRI in collaboration with NAGAR held an orientation workshop for the students of Mumbai University, to introduce them to the survey tools and train them in conducting on-ground surveys for N ward.
Organisers
UDRI x NAGAR
Speakers
Mumbai University
Gallery
Capacity Building & Training
Urban Leadership Programme
31 January 2026, Saturday
Hyderabad, Telangana
Capacity Building & Training
Urban Leadership Programme
31 January 2026, Saturday
Hyderabad, Telangana
About
UDRI conducted a knowledge session on Spatial Planning for Sustainable Cities as part of the Leadership Programme organised by the PRAJA Foundation. The programme brought together a cohort of 25 highly motivated changemakers, including mayors, senior municipal councillors, municipal secretaries, and university professors from 11 cities across Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Nagaland, and Uttar Pradesh. The session focused on India’s current spatial planning framework and underscored the need to strengthen planning at the local level.
Organisers
PRAJA
Speakers
Mayors, municipal councillors, Municipal secretaries, academicians from 11 cities across Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh
Gallery
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Retrofitting Suburbia: The next challenge for the next generation of Urban Designers
20 May 2023, Saturday
UDRI RRC
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Retrofitting Suburbia: The next challenge for the next generation of Urban Designers
20 May 2023, Saturday
UDRI RRC
About
Professor Ellen Dunham-Jones delivered a lecture on strategies for retrofitting and redevelopment of car-oriented suburban areas in response to climate change, inequality, and evolving urban challenges. Drawing from her research and award-winning publications, she highlighted how design-led interventions and ecological infrastructure can transform underperforming suburbs into more resilient, equitable, and sustainable places.
Organisers
UDRI
Speakers
Ellen Dunham Jones
Gallery
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Trading FSI for Privately Owned Public Space
21 February 2024, Wednesday
Coomaraswamy Hall, CSMVS, Fort, Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Trading FSI for Privately Owned Public Space
21 February 2024, Wednesday
Coomaraswamy Hall, CSMVS, Fort, Mumbai
About
In this lecture, Prof Kayden examines the use of incentive zoning to obtain privately owned public spaces, revealing through empirical study its successes and failures. While the technique has generated thousands of spaces worldwide, their quality leaves something to be desired. Strategies for ameliorating this record of production are discussed.
Organisers
UDRI, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, Architecture Foundation Lakshmi Mittal & Family South Asia Institute - Harvard University
Speakers
Prof Jerold Kayden
Gallery
Capacity Building & Training
Uttar Pradesh Governance Consultation
19 August 2025, Tuesday
Lucknow, UDD
Capacity Building & Training
Uttar Pradesh Governance Consultation
19 August 2025, Tuesday
Lucknow, UDD
About
UDRI and PRAJA Foundation, successfully co-organised the ‘Uttar Pradesh Urban Governance Consultation 2025’ in Lucknow. The consultation facilitated discussions with policymakers, government officials, and civil society representatives in Hindi, focusing on actionable strategies for spatial planning.
Organisers
UDRI X PRAJA
Speakers
NA
Gallery
Downloads
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Sandhya Savant Memorial Lecture – Conservation: A Multi-disciplinary Subject
21 January 2009, Wednesday
Horniman Circle Garden, fort, Mumbai
Lectures & Panel Discussions
Sandhya Savant Memorial Lecture – Conservation: A Multi-disciplinary Subject
21 January 2009, Wednesday
Horniman Circle Garden, fort, Mumbai
About
The lecture titled “Conservation – A Multi-Disciplinary Subject” brought together Sudhir Deshpande and David Cardoz to share insights from their study of the Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan. The discussion highlighted the evolving aspirations of residents and explored how these considerations can be contextually integrated into conservation approaches for historic areas and monuments, balancing heritage preservation with present and future needs.
Organisers
- UDRI
Speakers
- Sudhir Deshpande
- David Cardoz
Gallery
Workshops & Symposiums
Conserving an Image Centre : The Fort Precinct in Bombay
03 October 1993, Sunday
Coomaraswamy Hall, Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai
Workshops & Symposiums
Conserving an Image Centre : The Fort Precinct in Bombay
03 October 1993, Sunday
Coomaraswamy Hall, Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai
About
"A two-day workshop, accompanied by a four-day exhibition, examined the historic significance and future of Mumbai’s Fort Area, advocating for heritage conservation at the precinct scale rather than only at the level of individual buildings. The discussions were later compiled into a UDRI publication featuring 13 essays, presenting diverse perspectives on heritage conservation in the area. "
Organisers
- Max Mueller Bhavan
- Bombay Conservation Group
- UDRI
Speakers
- Brian Richards
- Christopher London
- Cyrus Guzder
- Debashish Nayak
- David Cardoz
- Edgar Riberio
- Guenter Nest
- Jan Pieper
- Mariam Dossal
- Erhart Pfotenhauer
- Rahul Mehrotra
- Rabindra Vasavada
- S. P. Shorey
- Vikas Dilawari
Workshops & Symposiums
Extreme Urbanism 11
25 February 2026, Wednesday
UDRI RRC
Workshops & Symposiums
Extreme Urbanism 11
25 February 2026, Wednesday
UDRI RRC
About
UDRI hosted a delegation of students from Harvard Graduate School of Design, led by Prof. Rahul Mehrotra, Prof. David Hamilton and Prof Jerold Kayden, as part of the studio titled: ‘Extreme Urbanism 11 - Imagining Housing as Urban Form'. The day-long interactive workshop featured experts from various fields, who presented their work in real estate, environment, transport, and urban planning in Mumbai, offering a comprehensive perspective on the city’s urban growth challenges.
Organisers
- UDRI
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
Speakers
- Prof. Rahul Mehrotra
- Prof. David Hamilton
- Prof Jerold Kayden
- Sheela Patel (SPARC)
- Sujata Saunik (Chief Secretary of Maharashtra 2024-25)
- Aaran Patel (The Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation)
- Rahul Dalal (Studio POD)
- Swetal Kanwalu (Deputy General Manager: Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation)
Gallery
Workshops & Symposiums
Negotiating Urban Form in Mumbai
25 February 2011, Friday
National Center for performing Arts, Mumbai
Workshops & Symposiums
Negotiating Urban Form in Mumbai
25 February 2011, Friday
National Center for performing Arts, Mumbai
About
This one-day workshop brought together planners, architects, researchers, and engaged citizens to critically re-examine and evolve a shared position on Mumbai’s urban form and skyline. Structured around the interconnected themes of FSI (Floor Space Index), Conservation, Environment, and Settlements, the sessions focused on how professionals and citizens can collectively negotiate development pressures, protect ecological systems, and ensure that Mumbai’s growth remains inclusive, context-sensitive, and future-oriented.
Organisers
- UDRI
- NCPA
- South Asia Initiative at Harvard
Speakers
- Prof. Rahul Mehrotra
- Vijay Sane
- Shirish Patel
- Ajit Ranade
- Vidyadhar K Phatak
- Qutub Mandwiwala
- Simpreet Singh
- Rupali Gupte
- Gautam Patel
- Anita Patil Deshmukh
- Sheela Patel
