1. Panel on Mainstreaming Design of Public Spaces, Bengaluru
Surjyatapa Ray, Associate Manager – Urban Policy at Jana Urban Space, spoke on a panel on “Mainstreaming the Design of Public Spaces” as part of the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s flagship programme, Revitalising Bengaluru’s Public Spaces, held at Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall in Bengaluru.
The discussion focused on institutionalising city-wide design standards for accessibility, utilities, vending, parking, and climate-responsive infrastructure, while ensuring alignment between implementing and regulatory agencies. Surjyatapa emphasised that design excellence must be supported by model tenders, construction drawings, realistic schedules of rates, and maintenance frameworks to ensure long-term performance.
The event underscored the importance of moving beyond pilots toward durable, standardised, and scalable public space improvements across the city.
2. India Civic Summit 2026 – Inside the City Government
V R Vachana, Associate Director – Policy at Jana Urban Space, spoke on the plenary panel “Inside the City Government: How Technology, Data, and Processes Come Together” at the India Civic Summit 2026, held at IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai, and organised by Oorvani Foundation.
The discussion examined how institutional fragmentation affects planning, service delivery, and accountability in Indian cities. Vachana highlighted the constitutional paradox faced by Urban Local Governments and emphasised that technology must function as an enabling layer, not a substitute for governance reform. Strengthening ward-level governance, institutional coherence, and access to actionable public information were central themes.
The summit convened practitioners, civil society organisations, and government representatives working toward more participatory and accountable urban governance systems.
Read More: India Civic Summit 2026