Grove Update | Urban Resilience Collaborative for the Informal Sector
Key updates. (January 2025)
Identity and Website Update
The name has been formally finalised as Urban Resilience Collaborative for the Informal Sector.
Website: https://urbancollab.in/
- Website content has been updated to reflect the outcomes of the June Convening
- Clear articulation of the three systemic arenas:
- Climate Change
- Unsustainable Urbanisation
- Urban Governance
- Cross-cutting emphasis on:
- People’s institutions (collectives, cooperatives, CBOs)
Steering Committee Approval: Opportunity Projects
The Steering Committee has approved the overall direction of the Collaborative along with a clear pathway to scale through Opportunity Projects.
- Opportunity Projects will act as:
- Practice-led pilots anchored in real urban challenges
- Entry points for partners to contribute expertise and resources
- The Collaborative will function as a facilitated network, not a centrally managed organisation
- Scaling will be driven through:
- Replicable practice models
- Shared evidence and learning
- Policy engagement grounded in informal sector realities
- A phased approach has been endorsed, prioritising depth, learning, and system-building before expansion
Webinar Series Prepared
Planning and preparation for the Urban Resilience Collaborative webinar series has been completed.
- Designed as a knowledge and engagement platform, not standalone events
- Early episodes focus on:
- Why Cooperative is critical for urban resilience
- Adoption of Technology for the Informal Sector
- Multilingual delivery (Hindi and English) planned to ensure wider accessibility
- Speakers and thematic flow aligned with the Collaborative’s core arenas
New Partners Onboarded
New partners have been identified and are now part of the Collaborative.
- Engagement structured around thematic contribution, not isolated projects
- Partners aligned to:
- Shared values and non-negotiables
- Openness to knowledge and data sharing
- Commitment to working through community institutions and collectives
Data Repository Concept Developed
A shared data repository concept has been developed to address a key gap identified during the Convening.
- Focus on granular, spatial, and practice-level data related to:
- Climate risks and adaptations
- Informal livelihoods and markets
- Urban governance, services, and entitlements
- Designed as a collaborative data commons, not a reporting dashboard
- Clear principles around:
- Data ownership and governance
- Controlled access and responsible use
- Enabling planning, advocacy, and demand generation