From Pedagogy to Practice

A growing archive of work by Dr. Meera Mehta and Dr. Dinesh Mehta

Dr. Meera Mehta

Dr. Dinesh Mehta

Welcome to our website!

Hello, we're Meera and Dinesh Mehta. Our journey in planning began at CEPT and has since then it has taken us through classrooms, city governments, and even multilateral organizations over the past five decades. We're happy to share what we've learned as pedagogues, scholars, and practitioners — and the lessons we continue to learn about planning, equity, and people's lives in our cities.

This website is an expanding repository of ideas, research, and policy engagement spanning over five decades. It brings together field insights, academic scholarship, and institution-building efforts in urban development planning, housing, governance, infrastructure, and finance.

We hope it serves as a continuing reference for students, practitioners, and policymakers alike, linking long-term experience with the urban challenges of today.

How this archive is organized

Over the years, our work has moved along two interconnected perspectives: Financing Urban Development and Services & Development Planning, Services and Housing.

Financing Urban Development and Services

India’s urban areas are the engines of the national economy, generating almost two-thirds of its GDP. However, the institutions that are supposed to govern and manage these cities, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), are still financially weak, poorly funded and organized, and over-reliant on the higher tiers of government. Even with the promise of decentralization under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, Indian local governments usually lack fiscal independence and the ability to provide basic services or prepare for long-term development.

This section includes a collection of papers comprising policy papers, commentaries, and research studies by Professors Meera Mehta and Dinesh Mehta, examining how Indian cities can finance their development in a more equitable, accountable, and sustainable manner. The articles have been grouped under five broad themes as stated below. [Read More]

Strengthening Municipal Finance

Finance Commissions

Market based Finance for Municipal Governments

Financing water and sanitation

Housing Finance

Development Planning, Services and Housing

Rapid urbanisation in India has intensified the challenge of creating cities that are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. This requires planning frameworks that balance economic growth with social and environmental priorities, supported by robust governance, effective service delivery, and housing systems that meet diverse needs.

This section brings together research, policy analysis, and field-based insights by Professors Meera Mehta and Dinesh Mehta on approaches that integrate long-term planning, fiscal mechanisms, basic services, performance monitoring, and housing market interventions. Collectively, these works illustrate how cities can be planned and managed to become more resilient, liveable, and responsive to their citizens. [Read More]

Development and Planning

Finance Commissions

Water and Sanitation Services

Monitoring Urban Services

Housing Markets

Featured Resources

Podcast

Understanding the Future - Urban Water and Sanitation (Part 1)

In this opening episode, Dr. Meera Mehta and Dr. Dinesh Mehta unpack the pressing challenges in India’s urban water and sanitation sector—highlighting service gaps, inequities, and governance barriers that hinder progress.

Podcast

Understanding the Future - Urban Water and Sanitation (Part 2)

They discuss how the Performance Assessment System (PAS), along with digital tools and innovative financing, can strengthen urban water and sanitation services and drive long-term change.

Book