Mar 13 2026 to Mar 13 2026 6:30 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Urban planning has a comprehension problem.

Decades of physical and social underinvestment in our cities are not inevitable. They follow, almost reliably, from designing cities without fully understanding them. Arun Jain’s new book reaches outside the discipline to build better frameworks. Cultural anthropology, evolutionary biology, economic theory, behavioural sciences, systems thinking: the book draws on all of it, each discipline load-bearing.

Jain is not interested in the problem alone. He makes a case for what becomes possible once cities are properly understood. After introducing the book, Jain examines the complexity of the argument in conversation with Srikanth Viswanathan. The conversation closes with an open Q&A.

What might resilient urban futures actually require? What would it take to build them?

Presented by:

Speakers

Arun Jain
Urban Designer & Strategist
Arun Jain is a multidisciplinary urban designer and strategist with over four decades of experience across professional practice and academia. This includes institutions, city executive positions, and the UN. His professional contributions span 165 cities across 46 countries, impacting over 90 public and private sector urban development projects.

A Fulbright Specialist and a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Arun has taught at six universities with contributions in both print and digital media. His new book Reframing Cities for Resilience: Embracing Complex & Uncertain Futures is published by Routledge.

Srikanth Viswanathan
Chief Executive Officer, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy
Srikanth Viswanathan is Chief Executive Officer of Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, where he steers the organisation’s strategy and oversees its programmes on city-systems reform across India. Srikanth has led pioneering initiatives in municipal finance, urban planning, and local governance. Under his leadership, Janaagraha has positioned itself as a thought leader on strengthening urban local bodies, shaping policy conversations on property tax reform, municipal bonds, participatory budgeting, and decentralised governance. He has been closely engaged with state and city governments, finance commissions, and multilateral institutions to embed systemic reforms in urban governance.

An advocate for strengthening India’s city-systems, Srikanth writes and speaks extensively on the future of India’s cities, emphasising the need for empowered local governments to deliver better quality of life for citizens and enhance economic competitiveness.