On 19 April 2026, Parisar, in collaboration with the People’s Resource Centre (PRC) and the Institute for Democracy and Sustainability (IDS), organised the Sustainable Cities Conference at the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi. Bringing together researchers, activists, lawyers, students, community members and women from urban settlements, the conference explored a central question: What does it truly mean to live and work in a city today?
Positioned against the backdrop of climate crisis, deepening inequality and exclusionary urban development, the conference foregrounded lived experiences, ecological justice and mobility rights over technocratic approaches to city-making. The event opened with community women from PRC centres singing Hum Honge Kamiyab and Aa Chalke Tujhe, setting a tone of solidarity and collective hope.
Publications Launched
The conference marked the release of six publications co-produced by Parisar, PRC and IDS:
- Urban Farming in Gurugram
- Liveable Cities: Reclaiming Urban Futures in an Age of Crisis
- E-Rickshaws in Climate Change Mitigation: A Study of NCT Delhi
- City-River Relation: Building Riverfronts — Revival or Further Destruction?
- Cycling: Ek Nyay Purna Bhavishya ki Ore Badhte Kadam
- Kitchen Gardening: Khad Suraksha aur Jalvayu Parivartan — Vaishvik Chunautiyon ka Sthaniya Vikalp
Conversations on Climate, Equity and Urban Futures
The conference featured a panel discussion on Climate Change, Sustainable and Equitable Cities, moderated by senior journalist Narendra Yadav. Speakers examined how dominant models of urban development often marginalise ecological systems, food production, informal labour and vulnerable communities.
Urban policy expert Narsimha Reddy reflected on how cities like Delhi and Gurugram are shaped by extractive growth models that compromise air, water and food systems, while reducing ecological diversity and common spaces.
Human rights scholar and activist Ritu Das emphasised that sustainability conversations cannot be separated from caste and patriarchy, highlighting how ecological knowledge and food production have historically been devalued alongside marginalised communities.
Senior Advocate Sanjay Parikh critiqued infrastructure-led “bikau vikas” (commodified development), arguing that rivers, forests and ecological systems are collective public resources rather than assets for unchecked urban expansion.
Activist Mahendra Yadav grounded the discussion in lived realities, questioning how climate advisories asking people to stay indoors apply to farmers, street vendors and daily wage workers whose livelihoods depend on outdoor labour.
Films and Discussions on Rivers and Mobility
The conference also featured screenings and discussions around two documentaries.
The first explored Delhi’s Gotakhor (diving) community, whose generations-old relationship with the Yamuna remains invisible despite their critical role in rescue operations and river stewardship. Speakers called for greater recognition of these communities within disaster management and river governance frameworks.
The second documentary, “Bicycling: Gender Equity and Mobility,” focused on Bodh Gaya and examined how Bihar’s bicycle scheme for school-going girls has expanded access to education while exposing persistent barriers such as unsafe roads, harassment and inadequate infrastructure.
A powerful moment emerged during the discussion when a young participant asked why Delhi could not implement a similar bicycle scheme, pointing to the financial burden unsafe and inaccessible mobility places on families and girls’ education.
Art, Performance and Community Voices
The conference concluded with a performance by Swaja (Avatari) and collaborators, blending theatre, movement and music to reflect on exclusion, care and belonging in urban life.
Audience interventions further grounded the discussions in lived experience. Participants spoke about community libraries, informal kitchen gardening practices, and the importance of accessible information and collective action in shaping more just and sustainable cities.
The conference reinforced a shared understanding that ecological sustainability, mobility justice and social equity cannot be addressed in isolation — and that cities must be reimagined through the lens of care, accessibility and collective rights.