Scaling City Institutions for India (SCI-FI), Centre for Policy Research

This policy brief is based on a rapid research report titled ‘Re FORM: Lessons for urban governance futures from the pandemic’, undertaken by the Scaling City Institutions for India (SCI-FI) Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) South Asia Research Hub (SARH). The research study aimed to answer a fundamental question, based on the experience from the initial period of COVID-19, what can governments, at all three tiers, do for reshaping urban policies and urban planning to create more resilient cities?

Based on the analysis of the evidence, gathered through intensive literature review, detailed press scan analysis, Key Informant Interviews with various stakeholders in select cities, actionable recommendations have been outlined. These recommendations encapsulate how governments, across all the tiers, can bolster preparedness strategies to build city resilience and be advised to reshape urban policies to respond to such public health crises in an ethical, inclusive, equitable, and resilient manner.