Land is being grabbed up all over India in efforts to industrialize the country and bring in foreign investment. The country's poor in these primarily agricultural areas are disproportionately affected by these acquisitions.
"As India's economy continues to boom, resistance to the conversion of agricultural land to industrial purposes is being met with increasing state-sponsored violence."
"These conflicts cannot be dismissed as an inevitable rite of passage on the road to development. Rather, they reveal deep underlying problems with India's bid to follow the Western model of modernization."
"All across India, international corporations are on land-acquisition sprees for infrastructure projects and manufacturing plants. Some 220 so-called special economic zones have sprung up since 2000 in an attempt to spur foreign investment."
"The poor and the lower castes are the most affected by India's industrial projects, especially tribal Adivasis, who make up 8 percent of the population yet account for up to 55 percent of those who are displaced because a disproportionate number of mines and dams are located on their resource-rich territory."
FULL STORY: When development and tradition clash
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research