On World Habitat Day 2023, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, organised an event centred around the theme ‘Resilient Urban Economies: Cities as Drivers of Growth and Recovery.’ Held on October 9, 2023, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, the event was graced by the presence of the Honourable Minister, Shri Hardeep S. Puri, MoHUA, as the Chief Guest. Distinguished attendees included representatives from the government, civil society, multilateral organizations, media, and schools.
The event underscored the importance of fostering climate-resilient cities to address the imminent challenges posed by climate change. The occasion featured the launch of several publications and the presentation of prizes to school children who emerged as winners in a painting competition on the theme of climate-resilient cities.
A noteworthy initiative unveiled during the event was the ‘Guidebook on Form-Based Code,’ a collaborative endeavour by National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Creative Footprints. This comprehensive guidebook offers a practical roadmap to harmonise efforts, promoting the growth of cities that are not only resilient but also clean and conducive to investments, all achieved through locally tailored solutions. Technical expertise for this report was provided by Shakti team members, Shubhashis Dey, Director, Climate Policy and Climate Finance; Vivek Chandran, Director, Climate Insights, and Prasanth Narayanan, Programme Manager, Cities and Climate Action. Useful contributions were also made by Hitesh Vaidya, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Lohia, Purushottam Uttawar and Sudhir Vohra.