Decent work in Ahmedabad: An integrated approach

Ahmedabad, the seventh-largest city in India with a population of 6.35 million in 2011, has grown by 3.5 per cent on average per year during the past decade. Cities are the centres of economic growth and innovation. However, rapid urbanization can pose formidable challenges to such aims as reducing urban informality and creating decent and productive jobs, reducing the urbanization of poverty and social exclusion, the adequate provision of social services and sustainable development and environmental protection. This paper examines the recent history, political economy and trends in urbanization in Ahmedabad and discusses a number of integrated policies and strategies for supporting sustainable urban development and decent work in regard to governance, social protection and quality employment creation, among others.