Published at: https://odi.org/en/publications/towards-a-better-life-a-cautionary-tale-of-progress-in-ahmedabad/

Source: ODI Global

Published: June 12, 2015

The report “Towards a Better Life? A Cautionary Tale of Progress in Ahmedabad”, published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), examines the multidimensional progress of Ahmedabad since the 1990s, focusing on changes in material well-being, environmental sustainability and political voice. The study highlights notable achievements, including a substantial decline in urban poverty, expanded access to basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity for slum dwellers regardless of tenure, compact urban growth, and strengthened municipal governance supported by active civil society engagement. However, it also cautions that progress has been uneven, with persistent social and spatial inequalities by class, caste and religion, and growing tensions as development shifts toward capital-intensive ‘global city’ projects that risk excluding the urban poor. The work and long-standing engagement of the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) is recognised in the study for its role in advancing inclusive, community-centred approaches to urban resilience, risk reduction and social protection, offering critical lessons for more equitable and people-focused urban development.