Singapore and India share a common colonial past, which has influenced the shape of their cities and their planning heritage. This was recognised by India's Prime minister Narendra Modi, who inked a Strategic Partnership in November 2015 with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien loong, which committed the two countries to cooperating in a number of areas including urban planning and development.
Singapore and India: Partnering for Liveable and Sustainable Cities is a product of this cooperation. It is the second collaboration between the Centre for Liveable Cities, under Singapore's Ministry of Development, and the Town and Country Planning Organisation of India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The first was the "Urban Governance and Planning Programme", where 99 senior urban practitioners from all over India attended a capability development programme in Singapore over four runs between 2016 and 2017. This book features case studies from the various urban governance and planning projects discussed during those programmes. Examples of case studies featured include how the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, was conceptualised, how urban challenges were systematically addressed in Ahmedabad, and how grassroots participation and innovation have combined to deliver optimal results in waste management in Ambikapur. Other case studies have covered land management and planning, affordable housing, transit, smart solutions, and sustainable environment.