Sharing a collection of recent features, blogs, and thought leadership from Janaagraha that explore how stronger city finances, better governance, and active citizen participation can help build more resilient and liveable cities.
Janaagraha’s CityFinance Blog: What Makes a City’s Revenue Strong?
How can we tell if a city is financially resilient? It’s not just about how much revenue it raises it’s also about where that revenue comes from.
The latest CityFinance blog explores the composition of Own Source Revenue (OSR) the money cities generate through property taxes, user charges, fees, rental income, and other municipal receipts. It explains why a city’s revenue mix matters and what it reveals about its fiscal strength and ability to deliver better public services.
What This Means for India’s Cities:
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Tax revenue contributes nearly 50% of cities’ Own Source Revenue, making it the largest source of municipal income.
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Fees and user charges account for 32%, highlighting the growing role of service-linked revenues.
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Most cities continue to rely on just two major revenue sources, with limited diversification.
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Strengthening collection efficiency and expanding revenue sources will be key to building more financially resilient cities.
As cities face increasing demands for infrastructure and public services, understanding how they generate and manage their own revenue is essential for stronger urban governance.
Read the full blog to explore what a city’s revenue mix reveals about its financial resilience: Link
Link to the LinkedIn Post: Link
Hindustan Times Feature: Why Walkability Matters for India’s Cities
Walking has always been a part of India’s cities shaping how people work, travel, and experience everyday life.
In a recent article in Hindustan Times, Sajith Sukumaran, Director – State Programs, Janaagraha, examines the importance of walkability in India’s cities and raises an important question: Are our streets designed for the millions of people who walk every day?
In the article, Sajith brings attention to the everyday realities of pedestrians — from schoolchildren and workers to vendors, elderly citizens, and public transport users and highlights the challenges they face due to unsafe crossings, broken footpaths, and streets that often prioritise vehicles over people.
He emphasises that improving walkability is not about being against cars; it is about creating cities that work for everyone. Better pedestrian infrastructure, safer streets, and accessible public spaces are essential for building more inclusive and liveable cities.
As cities continue to grow, Sajith highlights that the question is not whether Indians walk they always have. The question is whether our cities are designed to support them.
Read the full article by Sajith Sukumaran in Hindustan Times: Link
Yale Insights Feature: Janaagraha’s 25-Year Journey of Strengthening Citizen Voices in Cities
What happens when citizens get a voice in shaping the future of their cities?
In a recent feature by Yale School of Management, Ramesh Ramanathan, Co-founder of Janaagraha, reflects on the 25-year journey of working towards stronger civic participation and better urban governance in India.
The story traces how a simple experience at a New England town meeting inspired Ramesh and Swati Ramanathan to imagine a future where citizens could have a greater role in shaping decisions about their communities.
Since its founding in 2001, Janaagraha has worked to strengthen the relationship between citizens and governments, advancing reforms that make cities more transparent, accountable, and responsive.
Key moments from Janaagraha’s journey:
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Giving citizens a voice in local decision-making: Janaagraha’s early work focused on enabling citizens to participate in decisions around their city’s budgets and neighbourhood priorities.
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Working with citizens and governments together: The journey highlighted that lasting urban change requires collaboration between communities, institutions, and policymakers.
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Strengthening city systems: Janaagraha has worked towards improving urban governance, including building stronger systems for city finances, transparency, and accountability.
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Creating institutions for long-term impact: Over the years, Ramesh and Swati have focused on building organisations and solutions that can continue driving change beyond individual leaders.
Today, as India’s cities continue to grow rapidly, Janaagraha’s work highlights an important message: strong cities are built when citizens, governments, and institutions work together.
Read the full feature by Yale School of Management to learn more about Janaagraha’s 25-year journey:Link