Understanding urban geographies is key to evaluating how cities come to be where they are, while allowing policymakers to plan for the future of cities across India. Understanding growing urban dynamics of the country and placing cities and towns in a larger geographical context, is something that the NIUA excels in. With technologies like geographical information systems (GIS), it has become easier than ever to employ methods from this discipline to inform decisions related to zoning, urban planning, as well as transit and transportation planning, which can be a key to NIUAs contribution to the growth of urban centres in India.... The linkages of these urban areas and economic activity and wide-ranging effects on spatial growth, availability of employment opportunities and livability in urban ecosystems are areas where NIUA is going to focus under this centre. By studying issues through an economic lens, the NIUA will support urban discourse in a vast variety of fields: reducing ghettoisation, promoting economic growth, effectively creating industrial clusters, creating cost effective public housing, among many other pressing issues.Read more

The proposed Centre will serve the following functions:

• Diagnostic studies of emerging urban patterns and corridors in India
• Repository of urban data sets and create data tools for evidence based decision making
• Provide insights on the linkages between economic growth and urbanisation
• Create capacities to identify growth strategies at the City land region level
• Develop the culture of evidence-backed research at various levels
• Strengthen government-industry-academia collaboration