Crafting the Cities of Tomorrow: Cultural Livelihoods and Urban Resilience

As the world urbanizes rapidly, the need to shape future-ready cities that are inclusive, resilient, and economically vibrant has never been more urgent. At the recent National Urban Conclave on Future Ready Cities organized by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), a significant session on Urban Economy and Poverty shed light on a critical, often overlooked dimension—the role of craft and cultural economies in shaping sustainable urban livelihoods.

The session focused on how India's rich heritage in craft-based livelihoods continues to evolve in modern urban contexts. Drawing on the case studies of the Berhampur and Maheshwar handloom clusters, the presentation argued that urban economic strategies must go beyond tech-driven models and consider culturally embedded economies that provide identity, employment, and social fabric to cities.

The Cultural Economy as a Pillar of Urban Futures

The handloom sector, for instance, supports over 4.3 million people in India, with a significant concentration in urban and peri-urban spaces. Clusters like Berhampur in Odisha and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh have demonstrated how traditional skills can become engines of economic growth when aligned with urban markets, modern design interventions, and digital platforms.

These clusters are not merely relics of the past. They represent dynamic systems of economic resilience, where women, artisans, and micro-entrepreneurs sustain livelihoods through inter-generational knowledge and collective practices. Such economies also contribute to the low-carbon footprint and sustainable production systems—a key consideration in climate-resilient urban planning.

Lessons from Academia and Policy Research

The talk, inspired by two exemplary student capstone projects, underscores the power of applied academic research in influencing real-world policy and development. The session was chaired by Dr. Pushpa Pathak from the Centre for Policy Research, and featured insights from Ms. Shalini Pandey of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reflecting a growing recognition in policymaking circles of cultural livelihoods as vital to the urban economy.

As highlighted in the session, future-ready cities must be inclusive of informal economies that already exist within them. By supporting these sectors through improved infrastructure, marketing support, training, and integration into urban planning, policymakers can unlock a massive economic potential that is often marginalized in mainstream narratives.

The Path Forward: Bridging Policy, People, and Place

Thanks to the support of visionaries like Prof. Kamla Kant Pandey and Shri S.N. Tripathi (IAS, Retd.), such platforms are emerging where academic insights, administrative leadership, and grassroots realities intersect. Moving forward, a few critical directions are needed:

Integrated Planning: Cultural and craft clusters should be included in city master plans and economic development strategies.

Urban Policy Innovation: Schemes should recognize creative economies as formal contributors to GDP, employment, and export potential.

Digital Enablement: Technology must be harnessed to connect traditional artisans to global markets without disrupting their local ecosystems.

Youth and Gender Inclusion: Training programs should focus on engaging youth and empowering women within these clusters to lead future enterprises.

The future of Indian cities will not just be shaped by concrete and code—it will also be defined by color, craft, and community. Recognizing the value of cultural economies and integrating them into the broader urban agenda is not a nostalgic choice; it is an intelligent one rooted in economic pragmatism and social justice.

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