UNSW Cities Institute hosted the 2nd South Asia Urbanisation Roundtable to support ongoing engagements

In Australia, 1.2 million new homes are needed over the next five years. Globally, 3.4 billion people still lack access to safe, sustainable, and affordable housing, with the UN estimating 96,000 new homes are needed every day. The SDG Goal 11 of the United Nations (UN) calls to ‘Make Cities and Human Settlements inclusive, Safe, resilient and Sustainable’ by 2030. This is enormous undertaking for government, institutions, communities and businesses all over the world. UNSW Progress for All Strategy includes three important pillars to respond to SDG 11. Pillars #9 Community Consultation, #3 International Engagements and #1 Lifelong Learning bring together a global coalition to address the future of urban inhabitants; 65% of the world’s population will live in Cities by 2040. And South Asian Cities and the region contribute immensely to this accelerated growth.

At the 2nd South Asia Urbanisation Roundtable hosted by the UNSW Cities Institute, Professor Philip Oldfield, head of UNSW School of Built Environment, opened with a powerful reminder: equitable housing remains one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Cities Institute’s work continues to bridge spatial understanding and world-class research to help cities respond to complex legacies of settlement, climate change, and community marginalisation. Moderator Professor Sunil Dubey introduced the discussion with timely news, noting that Australia had launched meaningful engagement with the region just two days earlier through the New Colombo Plan, reinforcing the importance and relevance of this roundtable.

Dr Sarath Mataraarachchi set the tone with striking contrasts between the Port Colombo skyline and nearby street views, prompting a critical question: “Who does the city serve?” Professor Eileen Baldry emphasised the “invisible burdens” of urbanisation, highlighting persistent health inequities shaped by social determinants and the need for planning and policy to better support communities and local people affected by urbanisation to advance social justice.

From Colombo, Dr Harsha de Silva MP reflected on the realities of rapid urban change: while vertical development and investment are essential, good governance is key. He raised concerns about the out-migration of middle-class, younger populations who are unable to find sustainable employment and about the accommodation of new people in the city. Professor Siri from the University of Colombo reinforced this, noting that high urban living costs induce travel over long distances to work, and that informal employment is pushing many young people to migrate overseas, including to Australia.

UNSW Professor Jayashree Arcot’s team, Professor Alice Lee and Jayantha Sellahewa brought critical insights into the urban food system in Sri Lanka, highlighting the growing challenge of delivering nutritious, safe, and affordable food in rapidly urbanising contexts. This requires coordinated action across governments, municipalities, and, importantly, shifts in consumer behaviour and education.

Drawing lessons from South Asia, Dr Mukesh Ray, University of Technology Sydney, shared his experience from Delhi and pointed to environmental challenges and fragmented governance, offering four key takeaways: Clarify who is in charge; Govern systems, not just borders; Plan for informality, not against it; Match power to responsibility. Finally, Professor Sangeetha Singh from Tribhuvan University highlighted the significance of public trust in government and discussed the tension between development and justice, raising the question of whether a city can genuinely be considered "well-planned” when vulnerable citizens are seen as obstacles rather than active participants.

A timely and important conversation on how cities can grow more equitably amid global urbanisation pressures. Across contexts, cities face a persistent tension between development and justice. We must remember that cities are for everyone, planned and governed to serve all communities.

UNSW Cities Institute is honoured to host this roundtable, bringing together diverse perspectives on urbanisation in Sri Lanka and South Asia. It is critical that cities learn from one another and adapt insights thoughtfully to their own contexts. We appreciate Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney, for sharing how Sydney is doing and the importance of translating academic outcomes to the government sector and the public. And special thanks to Dr Sarath Mataraarachchi for bringing us together. Great thanks to in-person participants Dr Tablabu Islam, Dr Stephen Alchin, Nelani De Costa, Dr Peter Hunt, Dr Kezia Hsu, Dr Ling Zhou, Mijin Choo, Yash Rathod and Isurinie Mallawaarachchi for your reflections and insights, and thank all our online participants Deepali Mody, HM Dayananda, Hannah Bolitho, Maithri Panagoda AM, Michelle James, Senaka Dharmathilake, Shameen Dharmasena.