The presentation is based on a paper written in the context of a research program on “Governing Large Metropolises” conducted by the Chair on Cities at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (IEP). The objective of the research program is to understand how large city-regions are governed, by focusing on the role of institutions in the management of large urban technical networks. It draws on field work conducted between 2003 and 2008 on several aspects of urban amenities in Mumbai and is based on the analysis of a number of sectors (primarily water, waste and sewage; partially on environment, transport, housing and power), some selected urban projects and, the new vision of the city: the “Vision Mumbai”. The paper tries to answer a number of questions. It focuses on the new instruments of public action and their outcomes and asks whether changes in governance of technical networks are able to balance imperatives of economic performance and extension of services to all. It also looks at how infrastructure reforms form part of an urban regime and seeks to understand the unintended consequences of public policy in terms of shifting power relationships in the city. Finally, it assesses whether ongoing reforms contribute or undermine the process of collective action at the metropolitan level. Marie – Hélène Zérah is a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the Paris Institute of Urban Studies. She is currently a Research Fellow with the Institute of Research for Development (Paris) and is deputed to the Centre de Sciences Humaines of New Delhi. She previously worked with the Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank and with Ondeo (Suez Group). She has worked extensively in the area of water supply and sanitation in Indian cities as well as other urban infrastructure services. Her more recent research interests concern the shifts in urban governance in India. This is the third in a series of Urban Workshops planned by the Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), Delhi and Centre for Policy Research (CPR). These workshops will seek to provoke public discussion on issues relating to the development of the city and try to address all its facets including its administration, culture, economy, society, and politics. For further information, please contact: Marie-Hélène Zérah at zerah@ird.fr or Partha Mukhopadhyay at partha@cprindia.org
