The CPPR Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) focuses on urbanisation patterns and trends in aspects such as public space, urban mobility, infrastructure, technology, livelihood and citizenship. The centre aims to understand the contestation of space by different socio-economic groups and addresses the multiple realities that exist within a city. It also aims to meet the challenges of urban development by recommending better practices and innovative policy changes. This is done through the use of primary and secondary quantitative data, to support qualitative policy suggestions. CUS aims to work with public and private entities to ensure sustainability through shared ownership.

Advisors

Raj Cherubal

Raj Cherubal is the CEO, Chennai Smart City Limited. He is also Director-Projects for Chennai City Connect (CCC). At CCC, he has facilitated various projects on traffic, sustainable transportation and urban planning focused on pedestrians and pedestrianisation, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and integrated, multi-modal public transportation, sustainable solid waste management, restoration of urban water bodies, sustainable financing of urban infrastructure, redevelopment of business district and regional planning.

He has written and worked to promote decentralisation and good urban governance. Also to promote economic freedom for entrepreneurs, especially poor like street vendors and others in the informal sector and for their recognition as profit seeking entrepreneurs. He holds an MS in Physics from the University of Louisville and an MS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has worked in the software industry in areas like computational physics, visualisation, telecom and finance.

Susan Zielinski

Susan Zielinski is former Managing Director of Sustainable Mobility & Accessibility Research & Transformation (SMART), which is a project of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

She co-founded and directed Moving the Economy (MTE), a Canada-wide ‘link tank’ that works to catalyse and support sustainable urban transportation innovation as well as New Mobility industry development, an integrated industry approach developed at MTE. She has worked for over 15 years developing and leading transportation and liveability policies and initiatives.


See The Posts

November 13, 2019

Is Kochi Municipal Corporation accountable for massive waterlogging in the city? | #CityBeats

Recently the Kerala High court blamed the Kochi Municipal Corporation for being “inactive” and held them responsible for the water logging happening in the city. But should the Municipal Corporation be solely accountable for it? In this video our team […]
November 11, 2019

Silver Line economically feasible, says KRDCL MD

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a article written in the Hindu on the proposed semi-high-speed rail corridor project (named Silver Line) The Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDCL) is confident that the ₹66,405-crore Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi-high-speed rail corridor project (named […]
November 5, 2019

IS KOCHI REALLY A MUST-VISIT CITY?

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a news article published in The Times of India Kochi recently figured among the top 10 cities for tourists to visit in 2020, in a ranking published by an international travel magazine. It […]
October 30, 2019

How Can Congestion Pricing Solve Traffic Woes?

The term ‘congestion pricing’ is used to describe a distance, area or cordon-based road user charging policy around congested areas to reduce the use of private vehicles and increase the use of public transportation. Congestion pricing is also known as […]
October 28, 2019

CPM welcomes govt decision to rebuild Palarivattom flyover by DMRC

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a news article published in The New Indian Express on the govt decision to rebuild Palarivattom flyover CPM leaders who criticised the previous UDF government alleging corruption in the Palarivattom flyover construction have […]
October 26, 2019

Lack of Coordination is the Key Challenge

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a news article published in Malayalam Newspaper Madhyamam on the recent flooding in Ernakulam city. This article was published on October 26, 2019
October 25, 2019

Event Report: Smart Cities Workshop Sustainable Urban Development

During 2016, 2017 and 2018, prominent institutions from Germany and India conducted several Indo-German workshops in India that focus on the potentials and the challenges of the concept of smart cities. These events have been coordinated by the Heidelberg University […]
October 24, 2019

Operation Breakthrough Alone can’t save Kochi

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a news report published in The New Indian Express. On Monday, the overnight incessant downpour flooded the city, leading to ‘Operation Breakthrough’, helmed by the district administration. Within four hours, with effective coordination […]
October 17, 2019

Smart Cities Mission Requires Smart People: Dr M Ramachandran

Transcript of the Keynote address delivered by Dr M Ramachandran, former Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, at the “Smart Cities Workshop: Sustainable Urban Development” held in Kochi on September 20, 2019.The workshop was organised by South […]