How do communities reimagine processes of urban development and governance?  This case follows the Magars, an enterprising farmer community in Maharashtra, who collectively consolidated their land to privately develop Magarpatta City in Pune.  By mapping the Magar community’s social and political networks both within their own community and with key politicians and stakeholders in Maharashtra, the case also situates Magarpatta City within the broader urban governance frameworks in Maharashtra.  This case allows learners to understand how governance structures evolve and change, how stakeholders interact, and the interplay between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ mechanisms that influence development processes.

About the Case Author
Dr. Neha Sami works on the political economy of land and governance in urban India. She is also interested in issues of brownfield redevelopment and planning for climate change.  Neha has worked with the Boston Redevelopment Authority as an analyst with the Economic Development Division. She has also worked as a consultant with the Environment and Sustainable Development Division of the UN-ESCAP (Bangkok).  Neha began working on the Magarpatta case as part of her Ph.D. in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Michigan.  She also holds a Master of Management Studies from Rizvi Institute of Management Studies, a Master in Environmental Management from Yale University, and a B.A. from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.