Dear readers,

Cruising above Delhi have you ever noticed the sickly smog hanging above our homes? Or have you ever squeezed your nostrils shut while crossing Mahim in Mumbai? And, have you ever stopped to ask for directions on a busy road in Kolkata where every car was honking? Each of these experiences point towards the  precarious state of our cities, especially the larger ones. Demographic change - migration, natural increase, decreasing household sizes and an ageing population will enhance environmental pressures over the next decades. Garbage disposal, sewerage treatment, vehicular and industrial pollution, noise levels, increasing unplanned concretisation and rising temperatures, are all being discussed in global and national forums—but implementation calls for commitment, a commodity that is extremely rare. For the first time in human history, increasing number of people are living or aspiring to live in towns and cities than in rural areas. The demand for land in and around cities is becoming acute; urban sprawl is reshaping landscapes and affecting the quality of life as never before. Urban transport and housing are lucrative sectors in the political agenda. The above photo is indicative of the sheer disregard for sustainable expansion - notice that there has been an addition of three floors, well above the precincts of the Jaisalmer Fort. An aging heritage structure, the only inhabited fort of the country already suffers from a severe sewerage problem, yet policy makers and implementers remain ‘democratic’ about the rising levels of urbanisation and human pressure.  Such and several more concerns have been highlighted in this issue of G&Y. I extend a very warm thanks to Prof. D Simon for his inspirational paper on peri-urban region and Prof S Raju for her valuable inputs as the Special Editor of this issue.