This book presents research on Urban Innovations, which are core drivers for promoting economic and social development of cities within environmental constraints. It aims to present processes and solutions that are scalable, replicable, and can be adapted to a variety of urban environments with emerging technologies. Three distinct thematic areas are addressed in the book, which include theory and practice of urban innovations, innovations in data and technology and collaborating for innovations.  The chapters address a wide range of topics including smart mobility, city automation, geo-spatial technologies, environmental practices, mainstreaming innovation, innovations to scalable solutions and innovations from civic society. The work included in this volume showcases evidence-based research using state-of-the-art technology in an attempt to contribute to innovations for achieving more just and liveable cities. This book aims to address multiple stakeholders- academia, governments, civil society, technocrats and entrepreneurs, who are working at the intersection of constantly changing constraints in the urban ecosystem. With a wide range of cases across sectors representative of the Global South, the book would be of interest to a broad readership, seeking ideas for urban innovations.

Sheuli Mitra is a Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Bhopal. She is also the Centre Chair for the Centre for Land and Real Estate at SPA Bhopal. With more than 25 years of experience, her research explores the complexities of urban transformations, and the social and economic dynamics in land and housing markets, affecting urban structures. She addresses process and product innovations to make urban land and housing socially accessible. Dr. Mitra currently holds a patent for a web-based rapid appraisal decision tool kit for predicting land and housing transformations, funded by the Government of India under the Design Innovation Centre. Dr. Mitra received her B.Arch. and Ph.D. from Jadavpur University.

Premjeet Das Gupta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Planning, Maulana National Institute of Technology, Bhopal. Previously, He served as the Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Bhopal, for 11 years. An Architect and Urban Planner by training, he received his Ph.D. in urban and regional planning from SPA Bhopal where he studied bicycling behavior in rural areas. His research covers the relation between built environment and transport, human behavior around transport, and urban–rural governance. Dr. Das Gupta received a research grant from Volvo Research and Education Foundations, Sweden, for an international collaborative research project on pedestrians and street vending in Kolkata and Bangkok. He has also received funding from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for a research project on electric bicycle use in rural areas, in collaboration with Mahindra Susten Ltd.

Saket Sarraf is Founder and Principal of ps Collective, a research and advisory practice working at the intersection of social, environmental, and economic systems. He focuses on advancing sustainable and inclusive transitions through integrated research, policy analysis, and implementation-oriented advisory. With more than 25 years of experience, he specialises in just energy transitions, combining modelling, decision-support systems, and policy engagement across buildings, industry, cities, and the power sector. He works across local and global contexts, collaborating with government agencies, private sector, academic institutions, and international organizations. His approach emphasizes aligning technical analysis with policy design and on-ground implementation, particularly in contexts shaped by climate change, resource constraints, and institutional complexity. Dr. Sarraf is also a Visiting Professor at CEPT University and has taught in the USA and the UAE. He holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s in Urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.

Arnab Jana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Dr. Jana is an Interdisciplinary Urban Systems Researcher whose work towards advancing data-driven urban planning and infrastructure policy for cities of the Global South. His research integrates urban informatics, geo-spatial analytics, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure engineering to generate actionable evidence for inclusive, climate-responsive, and resilient urban development. His research focuses on accessibility to public services and urban infrastructure, with an emphasis on integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) and data analytics into urban infrastructure policy and planning. Dr. Jana received his Ph.D. in urban engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan.