Making Empowered Urban Governance: An Opportunity for Creating Growth

Strengthening City Governments Through Capacity Building and Spatial Planning

Strong city governments are essential for creating inclusive, resilient, and economically vibrant cities. While investments in infrastructure have transformed many Indian cities, strengthening the institutions and leaders responsible for planning and governance is equally important. In collaboration with Praja Foundation, the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) is implementing the Making Empowered Urban Governance initiative to build the capacity of elected representatives and strengthen urban governance through better spatial planning, legislative reforms, citizen engagement, and institutional development. UDRI leads the programme's Planning for Urban Growth pillar, equipping city leaders with the knowledge and tools to guide sustainable urban development.

Making Empowered Urban Governance: An Opportunity for Creating Growth

Why Urban Governance Matters

India's rapid urbanisation has increased the demand for stronger local governments capable of planning, managing, and delivering better public services. Building this capacity requires empowering elected representatives with the knowledge and skills to make informed planning decisions that respond to local needs and future urban growth.

Planning for Better Cities

The programme is built around five pillars of urban governance, with UDRI leading Planning for Urban Growth. Through workshops, training modules, and knowledge sessions, the initiative introduces elected representatives to the fundamentals of spatial planning and demonstrates how planning influences housing, infrastructure, mobility, environmental sustainability, and economic development.

The programme also promotes decentralised planning by strengthening the role of Urban Local Bodies and ward committees in shaping context specific and people centred urban development.

Key Achievements

The initiative has translated research into practice through capacity building and knowledge sharing across Indian cities.

Conducted capacity-building workshops for municipal councillors in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Meerut, Vasai Virar, and Sangamner.

Delivered Spatial Planning for Sustainable Cities sessions as part of Praja Foundation's Urban Leadership Programme, engaging 25 mayors, councillors, municipal officials, and academics from 11 cities across six states.

Developed interactive training modules and practical planning exercises to strengthen the planning capacity of elected representatives.

Promoted decentralised spatial planning, highlighting the role of Urban Local Bodies and ward committees in creating more inclusive and locally responsive planning systems.

Capacity building workshops with elected representatives from various municipal corporations in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand and Nagaland

Looking Ahead

As Indian cities continue to grow, stronger institutions and informed leadership will be essential for creating sustainable and resilient urban futures. Through the Making Empowered Urban Governance initiative, UDRI is helping build this foundation by strengthening the planning capacity of elected representatives and promoting spatial planning as a core component of effective urban governance.