Hello Everyone,
Here is a roundup of Jana Urban Space Foundation’s recent thought leadership and
media engagements across urban land governance, water security, pedestrian safety, and accountable city planning. This update brings together perspectives on last-mile gaps in land records digitisation, the systems challenge behind safe drinking water, and the need to institutionalise walkable, pedestrian-first streets in Bengaluru.
Commentary: Land Records, Last-Mile Governance and Citizen Experience | Feature in Swarajya Magazine
Land records digitisation can improve transparency and access, but its impact depends on the strength of the governance systems that support it.
In a commentary for Swarajya Magazine, Adithi Gurkar examines the last-mile challenges of land records digitisation in India, featuring insights from V R Vachana, Associate Director – Policy, and Anand Iyer, Chief Policy and Insights Officer at Janaagraha.
The article highlights how fragmented systems across registration, mutation, planning approvals, and utilities continue to place the burden of coordination on citizens. It also points to persistent challenges such as presumptive titling, disconnected databases, weak grievance escalation mechanisms, and the continued role of discretion during physical verification.
The piece underscores the need for integrated land governance systems, stronger standard operating procedures, conclusive land titling reforms, and better institutional coordination to improve accountability, transparency, and citizen experience in urban land administration.
Read the full article here: Link
Solutions to Ensure Safe Drinking Water in Indian Cities Exist – We Just Refuse to Acknowledge Them | Feature in The Wire
Surjyatapa Ray Choudhury, Associate Manager – Urban Policy at Jana Urban Space Foundation, co-authored an opinion piece in The Wire, published on 23 April 2026, on the urgent need to strengthen urban drinking water systems in Indian cities.
Drawing on examples from Indore, Delhi, Pune, and peri-urban Chennai, the article highlights how intermittent water supply, ageing pipelines, fragmented infrastructure planning, and weak coordination across water, sewerage, and stormwater systems create predictable risks of contamination.
The piece argues that technical solutions already exist such as continuous, pressurised water supply, physical separation of water and sewage infrastructure, stronger monitoring, and clearer institutional accountability. What is needed is the political and administrative will to treat safe drinking water as a non-negotiable public responsibility.
At its core, the article calls for a shift from reactive responses to long-term systems change in how cities plan, manage, and govern essential services.
Read the full article here: Link
Walkable Cities, Accountable Streets: Institutionalising Street Design Standards in Bengaluru | Feature in Deccan Herald
Pedestrian safety is central to building accessible, inclusive, and liveable cities.
Pravalika Sarvadevabhatla, Associate Manager – Urban Policy at Jana Urban Space Foundation, was featured in Deccan Herald on 16 May 2026 on Bengaluru’s persistent footpath maintenance challenges and the need for stronger accountability in street design.
The article examines how broken, encroached, and poorly maintained footpaths force pedestrians onto unsafe roads, contributing to growing road safety risks. It also highlights a deeper governance gap: while design guidelines exist, their implementation remains weak without statutory backing, clear standards, and institutional accountability.
At its core, the piece calls for Bengaluru’s footpaths to be treated as essential public infrastructure, supported by enforceable street design standards, stronger monitoring, and a pedestrian-first approach to urban mobility.
Read the full article here: Link