This year’s budget witnessed some important shifts in affordable housing, urban sanitation and public health, and transportation.
Affordable Housing
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on urban issues such as inadequate housing, poor waste management and sanitation, lack o...
The COVID-19 pandemic’s economic and public health shocks highlighted many long-running issues in India’s urban areas - from unmanaged population density and overcrowded public transportation systems to pollution and lack of sanitation. However, the many predictions during the pandemic abou...
IDFC Institute's new working paper unearths the extent of Mumbai's congestion, quantifies its economic and environmental costs and provides actionable results for policymakers by identifying chokepoints.
We analysed more than half a billion Uber Movement data points in o...
As India aims to become a $5 trillion economy, it must be cognizant of where that growth will come from. Cities contribute extensively to the country’s growth; it is estimated that 59%-70% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from them. However, to continue playing this catalysing...
This article in The Hindu Business Line assesses the obstacles to adequate rental supply in the housing market, citing findings from IDFC Institute's India Infrastructure Report. Excerpts:
"Without capital gains, the low rental yields — about 2-4 per cent in most cities, as per a report b...
This Mint article reports on the "Reforming Urban India" agenda prepared by the IDFC Institute team. Excepts:
"Indian cities need urgent reform in order to unlock their economic potential and transform quality of life, according to IDFC Institute’s report on Reforming Urban India. The rep...
Figure 1: Urban Expansion in Kozhikode, Kerala, along Transit Lines (1974 versus 2014)
Source: Analysis by IDFC Institute and Urban Expansion Observatory
Figure 1 shows built-up area growth in and around Kozhikode, Kerala between 1974 and 2014. When cities expand and people begin living ...
FSI Variations in Mumbai and Manhattan
Source: Bertaud (2018)
The above images compare Floor Space Index (FSI) — the amount of floor area that can be built on a plot of land — in Mumbai and in Manhattan, New York City.
FSI is largely uniform across Mumbai. Neithe...
The average 30-minute drive in Mumbai more than doubles to 66 minutes due to the city’s notoriously congested roads, according to IDFC Institute’s analysis of more than 53 million Uber Movement data points.
This means that Mumbaikers waste 55% of their commuting time stuck in traffic, e...
In this article on the Atlantic emphasising urbanisation as an important policy for NDA's second term, the author cites the case made by Reuben Abraham, CEO and Senior Fellow and Pritika Hingorani, Director and Research Fellow.
Excerpt below
"Reuben Abraham and...
