Anjali Mahendra

Global urban populations are projected to increase by 2.5 billion over the next 30 years. Yet, there is limited understanding of how this growth will affect urban land expansion (ULE). This is a large-scale study to explicitly test the relative importance of urban population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in affecting ULE for different regions, economic development levels and governance types for 300+ cities, with important implications for urban and national policy.

This synthesis report is the culmination of WRI's flagship World Resources Report series (2015-2021), "Towards a More Equal City" (see www.citiesforall.org) produced in collaboration with over 30 experts from around the world. Along with presenting new global data on current urbanization trends and their impacts, the report explores how rapidly growing cities can ensure equitable access to core urban services and infrastructure, while solving citywide environmental challenges and increasing… Show more

This synthesis report is the culmination of WRI's flagship World Resources Report series (2015-2021), "Towards a More Equal City" (see www.citiesforall.org) produced in collaboration with over 30 experts from around the world. Along with presenting new global data on current urbanization trends and their impacts, the report explores how rapidly growing cities can ensure equitable access to core urban services and infrastructure, while solving citywide environmental challenges and increasing economic opportunity for all residents, in particular those most disadvantaged. It explains how to implement seven crucial urban transformations in the areas of infrastructure design and delivery, service provision, data collection, urban employment, finance, land management, and governance. Show less

Book chapter with Christoffel Venter and Nahungu Lionjanga in the book "Urban Form and Accessibility: Social, Economic, and Environment Impacts" edited by Corinne Mulley and John D. Nelson. The chapter presents an analysis of mobility patterns and access to opportunities, across population groups, in the peripheral areas of the Johannesburg metropolitan area in South Africa.

Cities in Africa face converging challenges: rapid urbanization with inequitable access to water and sanitation, rising climate threats, and skyrocketing demand for increasingly constrained water resources. This report frames the challenge, the rising role for cities, and four priority pathways for action that can be implemented by urban and water-related stakeholders. It is based on an extensive literature review, key informant interviews, and the authors’ collective experience working on… Show more

Cities in Africa face converging challenges: rapid urbanization with inequitable access to water and sanitation, rising climate threats, and skyrocketing demand for increasingly constrained water resources. This report frames the challenge, the rising role for cities, and four priority pathways for action that can be implemented by urban and water-related stakeholders. It is based on an extensive literature review, key informant interviews, and the authors’ collective experience working on these issues. Show less

Congestion relief policies in cities are important to improve air quality, reduce emissions, reduce travel times for all road users, and increase economic productivity. Public support for these policies is often a challenge, yet it is critical for their technical and political success. To identify the personal, social, and city-level factors associated with higher public acceptance towards such policies, this study uses survey data involving over 8,000 residents from 11 cities across 10 Latin… Show more

Congestion relief policies in cities are important to improve air quality, reduce emissions, reduce travel times for all road users, and increase economic productivity. Public support for these policies is often a challenge, yet it is critical for their technical and political success. To identify the personal, social, and city-level factors associated with higher public acceptance towards such policies, this study uses survey data involving over 8,000 residents from 11 cities across 10 Latin American countries collected by the Development Bank of Latin America (Corporación Andina de Fomento or CAF) in 2016. For the first time, it also shows the effect of citywide income inequality on public acceptance of such policies. Show less

In this research, we developed the largest global dataset characterizing 2D and 3D urban growth for 478 cities with populations of one million or larger. Using remote sensing data from the SeaWinds scatterometer for 2001 and 2009, and the Global Human Settlement Layer for 2000 and 2014, we found five urban growth typologies: stabilized, outward, mature upward, budding outward, upward and outward. All data for 478 cities is publicly available on the included link.

Cities are increasingly integrating climate adaptation priorities into development policies and plans. However, there remains a gap in understanding how incremental urban adaptation solutions can lead to more transformative change over the long term. Transformative adaptation reorients urban climate actions around addressing entrenched equity and climate justice challenges. It focuses on systemic changes to development processes that improve people’s quality of life, enhance the social and… Show more

Cities are increasingly integrating climate adaptation priorities into development policies and plans. However, there remains a gap in understanding how incremental urban adaptation solutions can lead to more transformative change over the long term. Transformative adaptation reorients urban climate actions around addressing entrenched equity and climate justice challenges. It focuses on systemic changes to development processes that improve people’s quality of life, enhance the social and economic vibrancy of cities, and ensure sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban futures. Show less

Many cities are experiencing a decline in access to jobs, services and people due to a confluence of two trends: rapid urbanization and motorization. Lack of access afflicts both low-income communities scattered throughout the city and low- to medium-income people living in suburbs and peripheral settlements who use private cars and motorcycles on long, congested commutes. We define these groups as the under-served – those who face restricted access to opportunities because of poor location or… Show more

Many cities are experiencing a decline in access to jobs, services and people due to a confluence of two trends: rapid urbanization and motorization. Lack of access afflicts both low-income communities scattered throughout the city and low- to medium-income people living in suburbs and peripheral settlements who use private cars and motorcycles on long, congested commutes. We define these groups as the under-served – those who face restricted access to opportunities because of poor location or poor transport choices. This paper provides solutions for cities to change the trajectory of the urban transportation sector so that it provides the under-served with more equitable access to opportunities. In doing so, cities can also solve the problems of deteriorating environmental quality and economic competitiveness that result from traffic congestion and urban sprawl. Show less

Unmanaged urban expansion increases the costs of service provision, deepens spatial inequities, and imposes heavy economic and environmental burdens. In collaboration with the Seto Lab for Urbanization and Global Change at Yale University, this paper presents new analysis of upward and outward growth in 499 cities, highlighting strategies to manage urban growth in a way that ensures more equal and productive cities.

This case study in the World Resources Report, “Towards a More Equal City,” examines transformative urban change in Ahmedabad, India, by analyzing the land pooling and readjustment mechanism called Town Planning Scheme (TPS). This paper reviews the evidence on whether the TPS mechanism has enabled transformative change with equitable outcomes in Ahmedabad City—and if so, how.

An edited collection on planning in the global south, which is typically under-represented in mainstream planning texts. This is the chapter in the book that focuses on urban transport challenges and recommendations, with several examples of strategies proven to work drawn from the global south itself.

Cities are growing differently today than before. As much as 70 percent of people in emerging cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America are under-served by core services. This is the first installment of WRI's flagship World Resources Report on Cities. It highlights a new categorization of cities into emerging, struggling, thriving, and stabilizing cities. It focuses on solutions for struggling and emerging cities—over half the cities included in the analysis—because they have the greatest… Show more

Cities are growing differently today than before. As much as 70 percent of people in emerging cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America are under-served by core services. This is the first installment of WRI's flagship World Resources Report on Cities. It highlights a new categorization of cities into emerging, struggling, thriving, and stabilizing cities. It focuses on solutions for struggling and emerging cities—over half the cities included in the analysis—because they have the greatest opportunity to alter their development trajectory. [First author: Victoria Beard; unfortunately LinkedIn has disabled the feature to add an author not on Linkedin]. Show less

This paper focuses on transport and urban form and how the two shape the provision of access to people, goods and services, information and jobs in cities. The more efficient this access, the greater the economic benefits through economies of scale, agglomeration effects and networking advantages. This paper discusses how different urban accessibility pathways directly impact measures of human development and environmental sustainability. It also presents the enabling conditions for increasing… Show more

This paper focuses on transport and urban form and how the two shape the provision of access to people, goods and services, information and jobs in cities. The more efficient this access, the greater the economic benefits through economies of scale, agglomeration effects and networking advantages. This paper discusses how different urban accessibility pathways directly impact measures of human development and environmental sustainability. It also presents the enabling conditions for increasing accessibility and low-carbon mobility in cities. Show less

This Issue Brief highlights the strong connection between public health and transport planning, often unrecognized by either public health or transport practitioners in India. It makes the case for conducting health impact assessments (HIA) for urban transport policies and investments prior to implementation. Particularly in developing countries like India, the health impacts from transport are significant, in the form of exposure to air pollutants, impacts on traffic safety and accidents, and… Show more

This Issue Brief highlights the strong connection between public health and transport planning, often unrecognized by either public health or transport practitioners in India. It makes the case for conducting health impact assessments (HIA) for urban transport policies and investments prior to implementation. Particularly in developing countries like India, the health impacts from transport are significant, in the form of exposure to air pollutants, impacts on traffic safety and accidents, and the extent to which transport investments encourage (or discourage) physical activity. We developed a HIA methodology for application in the urban Indian context using known Indian data sources and applied it in the case of the Indore Bus Rapid Transit project. Show less

The publication draws attention to the important and underexplored issue of motorized two-wheelers in Indian cities, where the two-wheeler is a ubiquitous transport mode. The paper also discusses the experience of other countries and lessons learned in managing two-wheelers.

The Rio+20 commitment in June 2012 by eight multilateral development banks (MDBs) to shift $175 billion to more sustainable transport programs over the next decade could catalyze investments that improve mobility and accessibility in urban areas. However, this unprecedented financial commitment must be aligned with domestic finance and national transport programs in different countries. This background paper was prepared for the 7th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum… Show more

The Rio+20 commitment in June 2012 by eight multilateral development banks (MDBs) to shift $175 billion to more sustainable transport programs over the next decade could catalyze investments that improve mobility and accessibility in urban areas. However, this unprecedented financial commitment must be aligned with domestic finance and national transport programs in different countries. This background paper was prepared for the 7th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum held in Bali, Indonesia in 2013 and it lays out a strategy on how the commitment may be effectively operationalized to advance sustainable transport in Asia and around the world. Show less

This study presents an analysis of the effectiveness of urban transportation strategies in changing travel activity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. An innovative methodology was designed for the analysis with emissions impacts forecast out to the year 2050 at the regional and national scales.

This primer is intended to raise awareness among staff at MPOs and their partner agencies about the potential role of congestion pricing in supporting regional goals and the most effective approaches for advancing congestion pricing strategies in a region. It draws upon lessons learned from pilot and ongoing programs implemented around the U.S. as well as efforts to integrate congestion pricing into regional transportation plans. The content of the primer is based on discussions that took place… Show more

This primer is intended to raise awareness among staff at MPOs and their partner agencies about the potential role of congestion pricing in supporting regional goals and the most effective approaches for advancing congestion pricing strategies in a region. It draws upon lessons learned from pilot and ongoing programs implemented around the U.S. as well as efforts to integrate congestion pricing into regional transportation plans. The content of the primer is based on discussions that took place at four peer to peer-to-peer practitioner workshops organized by FHWA in September 2011. Using illustrative case studies, this primer provides information on effective approaches for addressing the challenges of advancing congestion pricing in a regional context, including: (i) building public and decisionmaker acceptability; (ii) linking congestion pricing to regional goals and objectives; (iii) achieving interagency collaboration; (iv) analyzing congestion pricing impacts as part of the planning process; and (v) addressing implementation challenges and sustaining user support. The primer ends with recommendations of initial steps that
can be taken in developing comprehensive regional congestion pricing plans, while maximizing the chances of acceptance from the public and decisionmakers. Show less

A User Manual for practitioners on estimating changes in travel activity, emissions, and co-benefits resulting from transportation strategies, based on the above study. The strategies include travel demand management, public transport improvements, road and parking pricing, and smart growth. The manual provides guidance on data sources, assumptions, and tools that may be applied.

This online guidebook outlines emerging trends and best practices in addressing environmental justice in transportation decisionmaking. The four chapters focus on foundational issues (transit and affordability, public involvement) or emerging trends (livability, road pricing).

Converting a mixed traffic roadway lane for exclusive BRT use has pros and cons. While the exclusive bus lane helps to ensure a high transit level of service, the loss of capacity for mixed flow traffic could cause a significant increase in vehicle delay. This study explores these trade-offs and demonstrates a methodology for cost/benefit analysis for a hypothetical lane conversion BRT project.

A guidance document for decision makers and planners, focusing on the following aspects:
- recent developments and results from road pricing projects around the country and the transportation challenges they address
- recommendations to enhance attention to road pricing and increase prospects for implementation through local, regional and state planning processes
- effective stakeholder engagement and public outreach strategies for road pricing based on implementation successes and… Show more

A guidance document for decision makers and planners, focusing on the following aspects:
- recent developments and results from road pricing projects around the country and the transportation challenges they address
- recommendations to enhance attention to road pricing and increase prospects for implementation through local, regional and state planning processes
- effective stakeholder engagement and public outreach strategies for road pricing based on implementation successes and failures Show less

Edited by Harry T. Dimitriou and Ralph Gakenheimer.

The twenty thematic chapters in this book provide a broad set of perspectives on the plight, possibilities and opportunities of urban transport in the developing world set against the challenges of sustainable development. The contributors expertly set the international context of transport policy-making and planning for developing cities and present a critical review of recent developments that have taken place that offer lessons for… Show more

Edited by Harry T. Dimitriou and Ralph Gakenheimer.

The twenty thematic chapters in this book provide a broad set of perspectives on the plight, possibilities and opportunities of urban transport in the developing world set against the challenges of sustainable development. The contributors expertly set the international context of transport policy-making and planning for developing cities and present a critical review of recent developments that have taken place that offer lessons for the future. The special features that distinguish this book are: its multiple institutional perspectives on transport in urban development of developing cities; its efforts to link sustainability with urban transport and other development concerns; and its understanding of the consequences of globalism in choices and obligations for urban transport. This Handbook will prove invaluable for professional practitioners and academics engaged in and concerned with the future of movement in cities of the developing world. It will also be of interest to students of urban transport and city planning particularly those from the developing world. Politicians, policy-makers and international development agencies and investors, as well as those working for international non-government organizations wishing to familiarize themselves with the mounting transportation challenges of developing cities will also find this book a source of inspiration. Show less

NCHRP Project 08-36/Task 93:
This research documents best practices in communicating with the public on all aspects of road pricing. The report identifies messages and delivery methods that have worked and not worked, along with the characteristics of successful road pricing communication campaigns.

Publisher's Summary: Road pricing is the name given to a variety of systems which charge road users a fee to mitigate the social costs of using their vehicles. The charges can be introduced to alleviate the costs of delays caused by congestion, environmental problems and the health costs resulting from pollution and accidents. But although the idea of road pricing has been around for many decades, it can prove difficult to implement due to a variety of social and political concerns. This book… Show more

Publisher's Summary: Road pricing is the name given to a variety of systems which charge road users a fee to mitigate the social costs of using their vehicles. The charges can be introduced to alleviate the costs of delays caused by congestion, environmental problems and the health costs resulting from pollution and accidents. But although the idea of road pricing has been around for many decades, it can prove difficult to implement due to a variety of social and political concerns. This book focuses on the institutional challenges to the implementation of road pricing policies by examining two cases: the potential impacts of road pricing on businesses and freight transport in the Netherlands and the implications of the London (UK) congestion charge for companies in key economic sectors. Distance-based road pricing has been the subject of a heated political debate in the Netherlands, and the study discusses the use of different theoretical frameworks to understand how its introduction might affect commercial decisions and relationships. This conceptual framework is adapted and applied in the second part of the book to conduct a survey of businesses in a number of economic sectors in London, and is especially of interest to other cities considering the introduction of road pricing in the future. Using institutional analysis, a paradigm not often employed before in studies of road pricing, this book seeks practical and theoretical answers to the subject, and will be of value and interest to all those involved in addressing the growing problems of road traffic congestion worldwide.
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Part of the World Bank's Cities and Climate Change program, this report provides solutions and opportunities for climate change mitigation for World Bank-funded urban sector projects, specifically large infrastructure projects across the energy, water, and transportation sectors. It represents the first systematic effort in this area at the World Bank, with a view to internalizing climate change mitigation interventions in the Bank's own operations.

Journal article focusing on the prospects for implementing congestion pricing to replace existing traffic bans in four Latin American cities -- Mexico City (Mexico), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Bogota (Colombia), and Santiago (Chile). Selected in 2010 as one of 30 key articles in the 30-year history of the journal.