Executive Summary

As cities take on an unprecedented and newly recognised role as drivers of sustainable development, findings from PEAK Urban research in India suggest clear principles to support optimum urban management. The PEAK framework offers an important new approach to help urban actors Predict and project aspects of city life, understand the interaction of Emerging systems, consider Adoption of appropriate technology and interventions, and facilitate Knowledge exchange to support urban inquiry and action (see Box 1). Based on research from four regional hubs – in China, Colombia, India and South Africa – the PEAK approach yields valuable insights that can inform more effective urban policymaking in highly diverse contexts worldwide. One of four regional reports, this paper presents key findings from PEAK research based in India, as a focal country for regional urban development. Centred on Bengaluru and Delhi, the research covers five broad categories – economic transitions; services and infrastructure; governance, urban data sources and social protection. It offers insights to help government and non-state actors at city, national and international levels address some of the most pressing developmental challenges in the urban global South, and shape stable, equitable cities that deliver decent lives for all residents: